Reclaiming Camelot
by 104Arianna
Summary: Secret revealed, Merlin flees, unaware of the magical threat heading for Camelot. Camelot is taken and Merlin is left injured and poisoned, and losing control of his powers. He must regain control, save Camelot and save Arthur before it is too late.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note

Hi everyone! I am such a huge fan of Merlin that when I had a vague dream I just had to write it down. Not meant to be slash unless you really want to see it.

This is set during season 3 of BBC's Merlin, before episode 12, but after 11. There are some spoilers to the third series, so don't say I didn't warn you :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin **(no matter how much I wish I did)

Enjoy!

**Reclaiming Camelot**

_The burning light had completely absorbed him, as his hand remained outstretched in the direction of Morgause. She, too, was being devoured by the burning light, tearing her apart from the inside, lifting into the air by the sheer intensity of the magic. Her screaming was being drowned out by the disruption the wind and fire around them was causing, an explosion somewhere off to the left was hurling debris in their direction. _

_The magic was affecting Merlin, his face becoming consumed with pain. The volume of magic was becoming too great to bear, he couldn't stop. He'd lost control long before this moment. This was going to be the end of it. No more torture. No more pain. No more..._

**Several Days Earlier…**

The young, dark haired boy walked through Camelot's market towards the castle. He had been collecting herbs for Gaius, and was heading back to the Physicians Quarters. It was still early in the morning, and there were only a few people in the market, setting up their stalls. Merlin climbed the stairs that lead to Gaius' rooms, and pushed the door open. Gaius was already awake, wondering about the room getting Merlin's cleaning supplies ready for him. He had prepared breakfast for the both of them, the food calling out to Merlin's grumbling stomach.

"Gaius, you're a saint" Merlin started, eyeing up the delicious food just waiting for him.

"Yes, well, you're going to have to eat as you go, Merlin. You're already late for Arthur…again" He replied, trying to hide his smile.

Merlin groaned, wondering where the time had went. He'd managed to get up surprisingly early, yet he was still late. _'Am I being punished for something?' _He thought, picking up his breakfast and handing over the herbs. Running out the door, he nearly forgot to pick up his cleaning supplies, turning at the last second, walking into a table and knocking a vial to the floor.

"Merlin! Do be careful" Gaius complained. "I'll clean it up, Merlin. You be on your way" he added, seeing Merlin picking up a rag from the table.

"Thanks, Gaius" he replied.

Then he was off. It took him another five minutes to reach Arthur's chambers, tripping over once on his way there, and heading to the kitchen's to get hold of Arthur's breakfast tray. Without knocking, Merlin entered the room, to find Arthur already changed and waiting for Merlin - more specifically his tray.

"Merlin, why is it you can never be on time? And why do you insist on not knocking before you enter the room?" Arthur moaned.

"I was up on time, I just lost track of it" Merlin retorted. "Besides, you try knocking on a door with things in your hands. It's bad enough just trying to open the door".

"Quit complaining, Merlin".

"Oh, sure. When you complain, it's okay, but when I complain-".

"Merlin…".

"Shut up?".

"You got it" Arthur answered.

Despite the fact that he should be insulted, Merlin found himself smiling. Arthur fought hard not to smile himself, and started eating the bread he had been given in order to cover it up. Merlin turned and walked over to the table where Arthur's armour lay, filthy from the previous days training - it had been raining hard the past few days, and mud pools were becoming common. Merlin sat on the floor as he started to clean the breastplate. When Arthur was finished, he stood and collected his jacket.

"Alright, Merlin. I need you to finish off cleaning my armour, then clean my room. I'm required to be present at a council meeting this morning" he said.

Merlin nodded his response, and Arthur was on his way. Merlin cleaned a few more pieces of armour before turning to the room and whispering a few words of the old Religion. Everything was now in its proper place, dust had been removed and the laundry was in the basket, ready for him to take down to the kitchens. He repeated this action with the rest of the armour, saving him a bit of time. "_What's the point of having an ability if you don't use it?" _he thought to himself.

He headed to the market to get some vials for Gaius, as he had been running out. He bought five, thinking this would be enough, and started to walk back to his room. That was when he sensed it. Magic. There was something, or someone, close that possessed magic, and it was calling to him. He looked around, and when his eyes were drawn to a side street, he followed. It was completely empty. He followed the path that lay between the two brick walls of the buildings next to him, and found an opening in a stone wall dead ahead of him. He assumed that this was a wall between the back area of one of the buildings and another that was behind it, but when passing through the opening, he found himself outside of Camelot. The path had led him to outside of Camelot's walls. He could no longer feel the pull from the magic's source and turned to go back, but found himself staring at the stone wall. There was no opening, not even a gap.

He placed his hand on the wall. His hand didn't pass through the stone, so this was no illusion.

_"Magic. What's__…?" _he started to think, confusion filling his mind. His thoughts were suddenly cut off by the blow received to the back of his head, and blackness filled his vision, leaving him to the darkness of unconsciousness.

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**Thanks to everyone who is reading this bit - you're amazing (virtual cookies for you all!). I should be continuing this story, but it might not be for a bit - no longer than a month though. Hope everyone enjoyed the first installment! :D **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**Hi again! Any and all mistakes are completely my own. And so that everyone remembers I do NOT own 'Merlin' - pointless mentioning it since it's obvious, but it's worth mentioning, I suppose...**  
**I decided to update this a little earlier than I had previously intended, because I'm going to be extremely busy over the next two weeks, so I might not get another chance to update during that time. **

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Merlin awoke with a loud throbbing on the back of his head. Attempting to raise a hand to where his head hurt, he realised that his hands were bound together by a chain which was attached to the wall he was leaning on. His vision was still blurred from being hit, and he was worried about having a concussion. Soon, the blurriness passed and he could see clearly again. He was inside a cave, and alone. His hands hurt when he moved them, finding his wrists bruised and bleeding where the chains had cut into them. Looking around, he saw a light somewhere in the other direction, which he assumed was the entrance to the cave. Against the opposite wall, Merlin saw a large bag with awkward shaped objects trying to break out of it. A fire in front of him was beginning to die away.

"Hello?" he shouted, his own echo the only response he received.

He leaned his head back against the rock of the cave wall, and closed his eyes in pain as the throbbing in the back of his head increased.

"Be careful, boy. Don't hurt yourself, someone else wants to have that privilege" came a cold and hostile voice.

Merlin opened his eyes again to see a man walking towards him from where the light was coming. His face was hidden by a hood, but the sound of his voice allowed Merlin to realize that he was somewhere in his thirtieth year - or there about. He was also quite tall, slightly taller than even Arthur. As he got closer, he pulled back the hood and sat on the floor near Merlin. He could now see his face. A cut had scarred his face from his cheek to somewhere above his hairline, indicated by the line of scalp showing through the front of his dark brown hair. From what he had said, this man worked for someone else. Someone had hired him to take Merlin, but who - more importantly, why?

"Who are you?" Merlin asked, trying to mask whatever fear he felt. "Let me go!"

"Now, I will not be doing that. You are after all pretty much the only person standing in between Prince Arthur and his death" he replied.

"And why do you think that?" Merlin asked.

"You are the one who always spoils the plans that others put into action. Well, the plans where the Prince's death is concerned, anyway. But no longer" He mocked. "With his…'protector' out of the way, I can fulfil my contract and kill the only apparent heir to Camelot's throne".

That last sentence had confirmed Merlin's suspicions. This man obviously knew that there was more than one heir to the throne of Camelot. There was only two other people who knew about this information, and the other remaining heir was one of them. Morgana. This man had been hired to get Merlin out of the way, so that Arthur could be killed and Morgana would ascend to the throne when Uther died.

"Well, I suppose I best be off. Once my job is done, I'll be back. The people who hired me are going to pay me a great price to bring you to them. I don't know why they want you, and I really don't care. So long as it makes me rich" the man finished, a smirk lying on his lips.

And with that, the man stood, and opened the large bag with the awkward objects in it. He pulled out various weapons, but decided to only take a couple of them - two daggers. He threw the bag over his shoulder and took it with him, laughter echoing around the cave walls as he left. Merlin was happy about the fact that he did not know about his magic. He allowed the man to have a few moments head start, then he gave his attention to the chains around his wrists.

"Dorri 'r cadwyna" he whispered, and the chains broke, his wrists free.

Saving a smile for later, he pulled himself up, quickly holding onto the wall for support. He was still slightly dizzy. He shook it off and left the cave. He was not completely unaware of where he was. Arthur and Merlin had passed this area a thousand times when going hunting, so it wasn't completely unfamiliar to him. Looking around him, he noticed horses' hooves on the ground, imprinted in the mud. The man who taken him would get back before him. Still determined, he headed in the direction of Camelot, fighting against the pain in the back of his head. He needed to get there in time to stop Arthur being killed. Doubt creeping in the back of his mind told him he would never make it there in time. He was a good half hour away from Camelot on foot. He needed help to get there. Raising his head to the sky, he roared and shouted the incantation.

"Ddraig , blesio d ata. Fi angen 'ch chyfnertha!".

Within a few moments, the trees were being blown away from Merlin, the rush of air, forcing them away from the Dragon that was landing in the small clearing next to Merlin. Merlin smiled slightly when he saw the Dragon, giving himself the slightest bit of hope. He made his way to Kilgharrah, who he could have sworn had a look of worry on his face.

"You called me, young Warlock" he began.

"I need your help. Arthur is in danger, someone has been hired to kill him, and I won't get there in time without your help. Please…I wouldn't ask unless I absolutely had to" Merlin explained.

"I know, Merlin. You did not need to ask, Merlin, you are a Dragonlord. You could simply order me".

"I don't like ordering people around, Kilgharrah, so I'm not going to do just because I can. I'm asking for your help, not ordering".

"Of course I will help, Merlin. But not for Arthur's sake, for yours. If I said no, you would probably kill yourself trying to get there".

Merlin smiled at this, and walked forwards, climbing onto Kilgharrah's back. They were lifted into the air, and very soon Merlin could see the outlines of Camelot. A sick feeling knotted in Merlin's throat, hoping he was not too late. He shook his head, shaking away the doubt. "_I will be there in time. I will" _he thought. Kilgharrah spoke to Merlin in his mind, asking what had happened to make him be away from Camelot. As Merlin explained, he saw Camelot getting closer, and the sick feeling started to die away a little. Kilgharrah landed in the clearing he had meet Merlin in previous times, and used his leg to help Merlin get down. Merlin walked away slightly, then turned around with a little smile.

"Thank you".

"Your welcome, Merlin. You are still injured, be careful" he replied.

Merlin nodded his promise, and watched as Kilgharrah rose into the sky, and flew back in the direction they had come from. He turned, and ran towards Camelot, praying that Arthur would be in his chambers...safe.

* * *

**For those who would like to know, I used Welsh for the incantations. **

**1) Dorri 'r cadwyna = Break the chains  
2) Ddraig , blesio d ata. Fi angen 'ch chyfnertha = Dragon, please come to me. I need your help. **

**I also wanted to say thanks to Paul, Emachinescat, D and hazelbunny for reviewing because if it weren't for them saying how much they wanted to know what happens next, then it might have been ages before I continued this. I've started writing the next few chapters, so it should make it quicker for me to update from now on. Thanks for the advice, guys! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**And hello to all my readers! Thanks for sticking with me. Thanks for the reviews. Thanks for reading. Anything else? Nope? Okaydokey, then. **

**Disclaimer: Do NOT own 'Merlin'****-If I did I wouldn't be here, would I? **

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**Chapter 3**

Merlin ran. Ran as if it were his own life that was depended on it, not just Arthur's. He couldn't think about what he was going to do when he got back, because he honestly didn't know. He found himself at the gates to the city, and ran straight through. He needed to warn Arthur, get to him before the killer did.

He kept running, running towards the castle. He knew that magic was a last option, he could never reveal his secret. So he either had to find the killer before he harmed Arthur, or find Arthur before he got himself killed. He turned a corner and saw the castle straight ahead of him.

Merlin found himself running towards Arthur's chambers. He reached the doors, and went straight in. Arthur wasn't in.

'_Damn it' _he thought, as he remembered that Arthur was in a council meeting.

He turned and started running again. Towards the great hall. He only hoped that the hired thug had not been able to go through with his plan during the time he had wasted. He was almost there, he would see the corridor leading to the side door to the hall in a second.

He turned the corner, and saw the killer enter the room, dressed as another servant. He had obviously taken the place of the servant that was supposed to enter, but Merlin couldn't think about the servant at that moment. The door had closed, and he had left Merlin in the corridor.

He reached the door, and went straight in. The hall was not full, most of the council had already left. There were only a few remaining: Uther, Arthur, Morgana, and two of the Lords. There were three servants in the hall, and it didn't take Merlin two seconds before he found the one he was looking for.

He had been noticed. He saw the man turn his head, he had heard the door open behind him. He looked as surprised as everyone else was - Merlin hadn't entered in most discrete way. He didn't care about the royalty standing near him. He pulled out one of the two daggers Merlin had seen earlier, and aimed it, not at Arthur, but at Merlin.

He threw it straight at Merlin's head.

At least where it had been, for Merlin had jumped out of the way, and felt himself colliding with a table. Thankfully the vase on top of it never fell over.

He looked back and saw the man draw the second dagger, and turned quickly to aim it at Arthur. All of this had happened in such a hurry, that no one had even had the chance to move, or realize what was going on.

"Arthur, look out!" Merlin shouted, as he grabbed the vase, and threw it straight for the thug. It hit him just as he threw the dagger, sending it slightly of course, passing by Arthur's head, and bouncing off the wall behind him.

Everyone suddenly moved, Uther and Arthur drawing their swords, and forcing the thug to the ground. Uther called for guards, and he was dragged to the cells. Once everything was calm again, everyone's heads turned towards Merlin.

"Merlin…what do you think you were doing?" Arthur asked, a whisper of a smile on his lips.

"Um…saving your life?" Merlin replied, finishing with a smile of his own.

Further words were about to be said, when dust and wind formed a twister in front of the closed oak doors. Merlin had seen this sort of magic before, back when he had first arrived in Camelot. Someone was using magic to transport themselves into the Great Hall.

Merlin stood horrified when he realized it was Morgause. Morgause had arrived in the Great Hall. And she looked exceedingly angry. Her attention went straight to Merlin.

"You! I have had enough of you spoiling my plans! You always interfere, and now I must take it upon myself to complete them" she bellowed.

She looked at Arthur, and suddenly a fireball was flying in his direction.

Arthur closed his eyes, and flinched, waiting for the pain.

There wasn't any.

He opened his eyes. The fireball was a metre away from him, hovering in the air. Why hadn't it continued on its path?

He looked to Merlin.

He stood with his arm outstretched, like Morgause's was. Both of them using magic to try and move the fireball in opposite directions.

Magic.

Merlin had magic.

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**Hi everybody. I know, I know! I'm horrible for this cliffhanger here! **

**A bit short I'm aware. I don't have a lot of free time, believe me. So busy right now, my head is spinning. Once it's all calmed down, I should be able to start writing longer chapters. Meanwhile these little updates are here. Might make me able to update more if they're smaller. Won't be able to update until... 11th of April. So it'll probs be then or the day after that the next update comes. Thanks for the reviews guys! they really cheer me up! =D **

**p.s. i love that when i start writing i think 'writers block!', but as soon as i play some music i feel my fingers writing freely! woo hoo! "Cheers" to music being one of the best things ever invented! - well, not 'invented' per say, but you get the drift :) been accpeted into university! woop woop! cannot wait till after the summer now! =D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**Hi everybody! Hope everyone's good! Thanks for the reviews that have been coming in. Makes me happy to know that people enjoy this =D**

**Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN MERLIN!**** - obvious much?**

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**Chapter 4**

Merlin held onto the power that Morgause had summoned. He kept it away from Arthur. He had to. He would not be able to hang on to it much longer. Morgause was strong and possessed powerful magic. Merlin was fighting against her. It was evident that even she was finding it difficult to control the magic, to force it to move. The strain was evident in her face. It was the same with Merlin.

The magic was powerful, and it was growing. Both sorceress and warlock were summoning magic to move the fire ball, that the magic in the ball was building up, growing larger. The others moved away, as the wind picked up, blowing papers from the table around the room. It was so strong the furniture started moving. A window shattered somewhere behind Merlin. He couldn't take his focus of the magic to notice. The wind was circling them. Now the others were not just moving back, but being pushed back by the force of the gale.

His arm still outstretched to his left, he tried to move it. Holding the it there was not going to help.

He looked to Morgause, who was looking at him.

With a yell at the fire ball, he pushed the magic more than he had before, hurling the ball towards Morgause, the volume of magic causing him pain. At the same time, Morgause had used more magic to send one of the thug's daggers in Merlin's direction, and the dagger shone bright red. She then jumped out of the path of the fire ball at the last second, missing it by inches.

She landed on her side, and looked to Merlin with a look of both anger and fear.

The wind picked up as it had before, and Morgause vanished within it.

Merlin gave a gasp of relief, but discovered he was too exhausted. Blood was trickling from his nose. He collapsed forwards onto his knees, and had to use his hands to stop himself from falling over entirely. The blood dripped down onto the floor, and Merlin closed his eyes and breathed, trying to get his breath back. He felt like there was some sort of immense pressure on his chest, limiting his ability to breath.

"Magic…" he heard Uther whisper.

Somewhere behind him, he heard everyone get up of the floor - where the wind had pushed them to.

Merlin tried to stand, using the table to help him pull himself up.

He wiped away the blood with the back of his hand, and swallowed as he looked up to Arthur. He felt like he was about to collapse again, but he had to stay standing. Then he saw Arthur's eyes drop, but it wasn't out of anger, disappointment, or hate. It was shock. But not the kind of shock Merlin would have expected.

As Merlin followed Arthur's gaze, Merlin saw the dagger - which was sticking in his side.

Merlin's hand automatically reached for the dagger, but he didn't have enough strength to pull it out, nor did he want to feel the pain of doing so. The dagger's blade was still shining red, but was dimming down, the red of his blood replacing it in stead. Uther didn't care. He gave the order to arrest Merlin.

Arthur looked from Merlin to his father, unsure of what to do. He looked back to Merlin as he heard a gasp escape his lips. Merlin started breathing heavily, and the guards stopped where they were, unsure of what to do. They heard Uther gave a command to arrest him again, but didn't move. They were afraid.

That's when Merlin started to vanish. The same way Morgause had, Merlin disappeared from the room.

He felt his magic working by itself, he wasn't even commanding it to take him away. He felt his feet lift off the ground, and saw everything around him go out of focus. When his vision returned to normal, he didn't know where he was.

It was dark, and all he could see where the trees in front of him. There may have been a cave somewhere off to his right.

But he didn't get to look any further.

As soon as his feet hit the floor, he collapsed, falling into unconsciousness.

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**Damn, I can't stop with cliffhangers! I love them! I know how annoying it is though. Once I read a story and got to a cliffhanger where I just wanted to tear my hair out because I wanted to read the rest of it that very moment - it was an A-MA-ZING story! Thanks for reading! Hope this chapter wasn't too short for you. Promise the next one will be longer :D**

**x**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

**Hay, howdy, hay! - sorry, just watched Toy Story 3 again. Hope everyone's doing as fab as I am. Enjoy! OMG! Chapter 5! Yeeehaa!**

**Disclaimer - I do not, I repeat, do NOT own 'Merlin'****. I know that nothing will ever change that - unless I surprisingly win a great amount of money, become a multi-millionaire, and somehow manage to convince BBC that I would make a much better 'Merlin' than they ever have. Somehow I don't see any of that happening, especially not the latter, as Merlin cannot be improved - and there will probably be nothing to look forward to once Merlin reveals his secret (voluntary or not).**

**Little thing, if i ever make a mistake it is my fault, but I would still like to know if anyone notices something in case I want to sort it - some of the little things bug me :D thanks!**

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**Chapter 5**

He could hear the air being blown towards him, as if wafted by a huge fan. He could hear the trees being blown backwards, away from the force that drove the air.

He felt the dagger still driven into his stomach, and could feel his blood continue to escape his body.

"Merlin…".

"It was barely more than a whisper, but he had heard it. Someone was close by, someone who knew him. That voice…it was so familiar. It was the voice of someone who had helped him so many times, and was there again, this time to try and save him.

Merlin forced his eyes to open, even if it were only a little. Just over ten feet away, the dragon was crouching over him, allowing one of his wings to cover up Merlin, like a gold coloured tent. He now protected Merlin against the harsh elements of the rain and the wind.

"Stay awake, Merlin. Try to stay awake. The druids will soon be here. They will heal you…" Merlin just managed to hear the Dragon say. the pouring rain almost drowning his voice out.

He tried his best. He wanted to stay awake, he needed to. The pain was too great, he could not take any more, and he found himself slipping back into unconsciousness.

* * *

He could hear rushed footsteps all around him. They were so hurried that it sounded like they were going to walk over him, he would become crushed underneath them. Then he heard them stop when they got closer. He could feel someone place a hand on his forehead, and hushed talking from whoever was there, but that was all, as the darkness was calling to him once more.

* * *

He woke up a third time, and this time he was able to open his eyes fully and have a look around him. He was in a dark tent, completely alone. He tried to move, get off the bed, but found that he could not move his legs. In fact, he couldn't even feel them. He looked frantically from side to side.

He saw the entrance of his tent open and a hooded man walked in, his face hidden. Merlin tried to move himself away, using his arms.

"Do not worry, Emrys. I mean you no harm. My name is Alaunus, I am a healer" he began.

"How do I know you speak the truth?" Merlin whispered.

"The dragon is just outside. He will confirm to you that we mean no harm" he answered.

"How can I? I can't feel my legs" Merlin replied, trying not to panic.

"Do not worry about that, I put a numbing spell on you stomach and legs to prevent you from waking up due to the wound you suffered" he answered.

"Wound?" Merlin asked, temporarily forgetting what had happened. "The dagger. Why was it glowing?".

Alaunus was apprehensive. Merlin saw the look in his eyes, something was wrong.

"The witch that threw the dagger had cursed it, before she threw it. It gave you an infection, which the other healers and myself tried to heal. We were successful in healing your wound, but the infection was too powerful for us to remove. The witch that created that spell was very powerful" he continued to explain.

"So, what? I'm still infected?" Merlin wondered.

"Yes, I'm afraid that this is the type of curse that can be overcome by the bearer, not anything or one else. Thankfully, because of how powerful the magic is within you, you were able to survive the first stages of the infection. From now on the infection will try to break down your powers, as your magic is the only thing keeping you alive" he finished.

Merlin requested to have the numbing spell removed, so that he could speak to the dragon. Alaunus was hesitant about doing so, but did as requested. He helped Merlin to his feet - he was beginning to feel the curse taking effect, causing him to feel tired, and worn out.

Leaving the tent, he saw a group of druids all around him. He had never seen so many druids gathered in the one area before. There were more than he had ever seen, some of their faces vaguely familiar. Ahead of him, at the side of the clearing, he saw Kilgharrah, with three other druids - these druids did not wear their hoods up. One of the druids was a girl, around twelve years old. She had short blonde hair that spiked out at the sides, and pale skin. The other two were also children, one who looked older, one younger. They both had brown hair, but very different in length, and also had very pale skin. Merlin found himself able to walk on his own, and felt Alaunus let him go - but he stayed close in case Merlin collapsed. He made his way across to the dragon, and saw the three little druids turn in his direction. Merlin thought that they looked slightly scared, they were just in surprise at his being awake, and had the highest respect for him - they knew about his destiny.

"Merlin, this is Mesa, Donn and Bram" Kilgharrah introduced.

Merlin nodded in their direction as the girl, followed by the two boys, did the same. The children then left the area and returned to their guardians on the other side of the camp.

"What happened? The last thing I really remember is passing out after I somehow transported myself out of Camelot" Merlin began.

"That was due to your magic. You are more powerful than you believe, Merlin. Your magic subconsciously did the transporting spell for you, when it realized you were in danger".

"I thought I was in control of my magic? Now it sounds like it's another person".

"In a sense, it is. If you wish to do something using your magic, but find yourself unable to do so because of injury, it can - and probably will - do it for you. It's usually only little magic tricks, but because your magic is so advanced, it can do some more developed magic as well".

Merlin's head hurt more than it already was. He needed to sit down. On doing so, he felt all the tiredness catch up with him. He felt the tenderness in his wound spike as he touched the ground, forcing him to hiss in pain. The fire in the camp suddenly shot into the sky, forming a pillar of orange and yellow nearly twenty feet tall. Everyone fell away from the fire, unable to understand what was happening. Merlin thoughts were going wild - what was happening? Who was doing it? Why?

"Merlin! Focus yourself on something else!" the dragon shouted over the noise of the flames.

He did as he was told, focusing in stead on the golden scales of the dragon's wings. The pillar crumbled, the flames folding in on themselves, and shrinking back to its original size. Talk started throughout the camp, all wondering what had just happened. Even Merlin was wondering the same thing, and Kilgharrah answered his question.

"It's the curse. it's taking hold of your magic, forcing it out of control. You need to focus on your magic, try to keep it under control. Do that and you will be able to beat Morgause's spell" he explained.

Merlin nodded slowly and looked back to the fire. People were starting to look in his direction, realizing now what had happened, but they were not afraid of him. They were worried for him. They were similar looks to the ones Arthur had given him before he disappeared. Arthur.

He hadn't even thought about how Arthur was going to react, or if he would even want to see him again. He had lied to him ever since meeting him, and he knew that Arthur would never forgive him for that.

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**A bit longer than previous chapter so yippee! I'm not sure if I really like this, but heck - it's not the main focus of this story. If how I've explained the curse/spell doesn't make sense, just imagine it does :D Basically it's a spell that will drain him of his magic, and then kill him - blunt but to the point much? :D thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

**Hi again everybody! How's everyone doing? I hope I didn't wait too long to post this next part, I've been so swamped and having those extra days off school haven't really helped me by getting things done. But enough of my troubles :D Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do not own 'Merlin'**** - if I did the next season would have been recorded earlier so that it would come on the TV faster (anyone else agree?)**

**ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!  
****For those who would be interested, I wrote a little one-shot adapted from this story thanks to someone's review - I do listen to you guys! It concerns Arthur's thoughts and reactions during the scene where Merlin's magic is revealed and when he gets stabbed. It's called '_Thoughts of a Prince'._ Thanks for reading, and if anyone else gets any ideas for storylines I could do then feel free to suggest them. The chances are extremely high that it'll be done. :D**  
**Had to add the 'alert, alert, alert' - i got bored :D**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

They were gathered in the Throne room. All the nights, the King, Gaius, Morgana - as well as Gwen - and Arthur. Since Merlin had vanished, a lot had happened. The king had sent search parties throughout Camelot, determined to find at least one of the magical threats - if you could call Merlin a threat.

Even though he had seen with his own eyes that Merlin had saved Arthur life - which had at first confused him - he now believed that Merlin had saved Arthur for his own reasons - such as because he believed he had influence over Arthur, and therefore could influence the future King. Uther just couldn't accept that magic could also be used for good. He had seen magic, twenty years of how it affected everyone. It destroyed lives. Even when lives were created, another life was somewhere destroyed. His experience of magic had been such a negative one, that one random act of kindness from a sorcerer was not going to change his mind about how he felt about the entire thing.

The knights now stood, awaiting further orders.

"When you have finished searching the lower areas, ride to the outline villages, they may have taken refuge somewhere" Uther began. "Arthur, you will of course lead one group, and choose two others to lead the other two groups".

He looked to Arthur for a reply. He saw Arthur sitting in his seat, deep in thought. So deep that his father's voice was not enough to bring him back from.

"Arthur?".

He turned to look at his father.

"Sorry, father, I was just…" he began. "Of course, father. Sir Leon and Sir Kay will lead the other groups".

With that settled, Uther dismissed his men, and they left to prepare for the journey ahead. Nearly everyone had left. As Morgana and Gwen were leaving, Gwen looked back to Arthur, who had gotten slowly out of his seat and was walking towards the door, but was going so slow, and looked so distracted while doing so.

"Arthur? Could you stay for a moment?" Uther asked, but of course it was not just a request.

Once everyone had left, it was just Uther and Arthur standing in the hall. Arthur still looked distracted, as Uther had noticed.

"Arthur, might I ask what is troubling you?" he started, and wondered if he would get a reply from the silent prince.

"It's…Merlin" Uther's eyebrows lifted. "I can't honestly believe that he would…I can't believe that he, of all people, is a sorcerer".

"That's how those who have these abilities act - they try to gain the trust of those high up, those with power. You were deceived, we all were" Uther replied. "That is why we must find him, he is an outlaw now, he possesses magic, Arthur. You saw it yourself".

"I saw him protecting me, father. How can he be a threat if he was willing to risk his life in order to protect me?" the moment it came out of his mouth he knew it was a mistake. He could already see the anger in his father's eyes starting to rise.

"Risk his life? He did no such thing. He gained your trust and believed that he would have influence over the future King of Camelot, he needs you alive for that to happen, Arthur. He just couldn't stop his instincts from acting before he had the chance to protect himself" he argued.

Arthur shook his head.

"He's risked his life for me well before I trusted him, back when I couldn't stand him. He pulled me out of the path of that dagger remember? And then he risked his life again, by drinking from the goblet, even though he knew it was poisoned. And when that Witchfinder came, he was the one who revealed him to be the sorcerer. If he was truly evil, why he turn him in, why would they turn on each other? He would want to protect those that were like him, and yet he didn't. He turned him over".

Arthur looked at his father now, who looked like he was fit to burst, and remembered something else.

"If he truly was evil…why did he stop me killing you when Morgause had convinced me that you were the reason that my Mother died? He could have let you die there and then, I would have become King, and he would have the influence over me that you think he wishes to possess" Arthur continued. "Why would he do that if he were a threat to any of us?".

As he looked at his father he realised he had done something that hadn't happened in a long while. His father was speechless. His face had turned from one of pure anger to complete shock in that single moment. He stood in front of him with his mouth slightly open, as if he had an answer that he was prepared to give. But nothing came. He couldn't explain Merlin's actions, not if he were the evil sorcerer that he believed him to be. Uther just stood there, silent.

"Father, Morgause is our enemy, not Merlin. I agree that we should be looking for Merlin as well, but only because the last time we saw him he had a dagger in his stomach! Personally…I'd rather like to thank him for all the times he's had to save me before he dies…if he's not already…" Arthur finished, unable to finish his sentence because thinking about Merlin being dead was almost too much.

An uncomfortable silence took hold, Arthur unsure of how his father was about to react. Change that - he knew how he was going to react. He would shout and yell at Arthur for ever believing that magic could actually be used for good. He would argue that magic was the enemy of all enemies, and never to be trusted or allied with. He would also probably have Arthur locked away in a cell for having such thoughts, as he had once done to Morgana.

"Knowing your servant, I'm sure he'll be fine" Uther finally said.

Arthur could only but stare at his father in amazement, and a little confusion from his statement. Sensing this confusion, Uther continued.

"He is extremely stubborn" Uther smiled.

Arthur laughed. Could this really be happening? Was Uther really acting this way? He had to be dreaming, surely.

"You really believe that Merlin can be trusted? That he would never betray you?" Uther asked, seriously.

"I would bet my life on it. He has my complete trust, he shows me more loyalty than someone in his position would, more than any of the knights of Camelot".

"Yes, I was already aware of his strong loyalty to you…" Uther commented, remembering the time that Merlin had had a new sword made just for Arthur, at the time the wrath had come to Camelot. He had said so to Merlin that he saw a strong sense of loyalty in him for Arthur."I'll order the knights not to harm Merlin. If your trust in him is good enough for you, great enough for you to bet your life on…then there might actually be some truth in it" Uther continued, allowing Arthur to smile.

Uther smiled at his son, knowing with complete certainty that if Arthur trusted him, enough to bet his life that Merlin was not evil, then he could too. Just as they both turned to the door, two knights entered the room, seeming out of breath.

"What is it? What has happened?" Uther demanded.

"Sire, people from the outline villages are arriving in Camelot. All of them. There is an army making it's way to Camelot, and it is destroying whatever it comes across. It is believed that it is Cenred's men".

Uther took a moment to think.

"Prepare the armies. Forget the search for the sorceress and Merlin. We need to defend Camelot".

"Sire…we do not need to search for the witch any longer".

"Why not?".

The man wished he were not the one revealing the information he was about to give.

"The witch, Morgause, has joined with Cenred. She has been using her magic to protect his men while they have been making their way here" he finally said.

It was the worst news possible. Without the protection, they could take on Cenred and his armies easily, but with magic on their side….

Uther looked to his son, who had a hard look on his face. He could not believe he had trusted that witch the year before, that he had believed her when she said she would cause him no harm, that she only wanted to show him the truth. She had nearly made Arthur kill his own father and now…she may have killed Merlin.

For all Arthur knew, Merlin had died the moment he had disappeared. And now, there was a magically protected army headed their way, with no foreseeable way of surviving.

* * *

**I'm quite hyper right now, and I'm writing one of the future chapters, listening to Selena Gomez's 'Who Says' - Muse has been playing for hours so I really needed to change it. Found the song when I watched a trailer for a new movie called 'Monte Carlo'. Looks a bit like the Lizzie McGuire movie, but not bad :)  
Hope every liked this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

**This may be a little OOC for one certain character, but you'll get the general gist of the thing. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the tv show 'Merlin'. However I do own the idea for this storyline - so I'm surprised my imagaination is good enough to let me continue a story for this long (usually I've given up by now, I think the reviews are egging me on to continue) :D**

**Comments:  
****  
****Emachinescat - Thanks! No more waiting for this chapter :D**

**Naisa - Thank you! Same here, I'm looking forward to bringing Merlin back to Camelot**

**Darkenwood - I agree that Uther was a little OOC, I didn't really know how to make it seem believable, but I'm glad you liked it! Here's your relief :D**

**bookaddict27 - I never trust Uther, even when he's sincere, lol :D i totally forgot that id made this a tragedy - not sure if where i have this story going is somewhat fitting anymore. You never know though - mwah ha ha! lol :D**

**Rylie - Thanks! Well here's the next chapter :)**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Merlin hated the curse. The stupid curse that was ruining his magic. He had tried using a few spells, just some spells from the book that Gaius had given him, but it always went crazy. He had just tied using a spell to move water from one bucket to another, and people on the other side of the camp were still drying their hair and having to go get changed. The water had soaked nearly the entire camp. Granted pretty much everyone was laughing because of it, but they knew that it was a big problem for Merlin - the one person who had not laughed, despite the fact that if it were any other situation he would still be in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

He sat a little way from the centre of the camp, trying to disappear into the background, his elbows on his knees and his head hidden in his hands. He tried not to think about what had happened back in Camelot. He kept remembering the look on Arthur's face. Merlin hated that moment, the hate in Arthur's eyes. In that one moment he saw exactly how Arthur felt. He saw the betrayal, the anger, the hate. In that one look, Merlin knew that Arthur would never forgive him for having magic, or for hiding it from him for so long.

Then all he saw was the shock. Arthur was probably shocked at how humiliating the situation had been. His very own manservant - a warlock! Another thing that Arthur would hate him for. He had made Arthur look like a fool in front of members of the court, as well as the King himself. Arthur's reaction would have been like the time that he had trusted him in the matter involving knight Valient, but ten times worse considering magic was involved.

**_"You humiliated me!"_**

He could hear him shouting the words. Except he had not been able to see his reaction this time, he had vanished too quickly. Even though nothing had yet been said, the thought of what was waiting for him in Camelot cut was cut deep into his mind.

He scrunched his eyes together, trying to block the memory out. He heard something smash and looked up. There were plates piled up next to the fire, but now they were flying through the air, one by one. They smashed against trees, fell to the floor, narrowly missing people's heads. He immediately focused his mind on calming down his magic. The remaining plates returned to the pile they had been arranged in, and Merlin looked around camp with apologetic eyes.

"Sorry…Sorry" he began.

"Merlin, there is no need to apologize. It is not your fault, young warlock" the dragon interrupted.

Merlin shook his head. _'This is ridiculous' _Merlin thought.

* * *

Orders were being carried out all over the place. The armies were being prepared. Weaponry was being sharpened. Armour was being dressed on every knight in Camelot. Cenred's men were getting closer, every village in between them and Camelot being searched for resources that they could use, and the villagers were still flocking into the gates of the great city. There was not enough room for them all in the lower towns, but that hardly mattered - everyone was being moved into the deeper walls of the castle, further away from the oncoming war.

Arthur stood alone on the terrace, looking over the great city. It seemed that it was only the other day that Camelot was just in a war. The magically created skeleton army had nearly been the end of Camelot. If it were not for Morgana destroying the source of the magic, it may have been the end. This time it was another army, that was as close to immortal as they were possibly going to get - with magic protecting them.

He didn't know how this was going to turn out. He started wishing Merlin was there. For a complete idiot, Merlin did have a habit of saying the right thing when he needed to hear it. He missed his incessant chatter about things that didn't in the slightest bit matter, or half the time even make sense.

'_Merlin, you better be alive, or I swear I'll find a way to bring you back just to kill you myself' _Arthur thought.

"Arthur?" came a soft voice from behind him.

Turning, he saw Gwen walking towards him. He managed to give her a smile as she stopped in front of him, looking him over.

"You okay? You seem a bit…distracted" Gwen asked.

"I'm fine, Gwen. Just wondering how long it will be before Cenred's men get here. You should be in the Medical ward, Gwen. It's safer there" he replied.

"We have several hours before they come into view, Arthur. No one has even the slightest injury yet. It's kind of pointless being where you're not needed" she explained, a small smile on her face. "You're worried about Merlin too, aren't you?" she added, when Arthur didn't reply.

"I know Merlin, he's probably annoying somebody else, in stead of me, right now" he replied, smiling slightly, turning to face the other direction.

"There's no shame in admitting it Arthur. You're worried about him, we all are. I still can't believe none of us realized that he was a sorcerer".

"I know, Merlin, of all people. Magic and Merlin are two things I would never have put together" Arthur replied. "I can't believe he was able to hide something like this. Did you know that I once said to him that he couldn't hide anything from me? He was laughing on the inside. I know I would have been" he scowled.

Gwen gave a concerned look that Arthur was unable to see. Arthur looked back over Camelot and towards the forest that marked the edge of Camelot's borders, where Cenred's kingdom began. It would still be several hours before he saw them coming over the hills, but he couldn't stop looking in their direction, thinking that they were going to come over the hill, into view within the next few minutes.

"When I found out I wanted to hit him" Arthur said absentmindedly.

"What?" Gwen asked, shocked.

"I was so angry at him. When I realized he had magic…I hated him. I never thought that was possible, but I actually hated him. I was thinking so many things: he didn't trust me; he betrayed me; betrayed Camelot…I believed him to be my enemy. I've had it drilled into me that all those who practise magic are evil, and I thought that that made Merlin evil…I actually hated him, Gwen - I hated Merlin" Arthur admitted, only just coming to grips with the confession himself.

"What about now? You don't still feel that way?" Gwen asked.

"No, of course not, I know that Merlin and evil do not go together, never will. If there is one thing that I am completely sure of, it's that Merlin cannot be that sort of person" he answered without hesitation, but then he looked bothered by his quick reply.

"That's good, isn't it? ".

"Yes, but he still hid it from me all this time. I can't believe that he hid it all from me, he could have told me-".

"He was scared, Arthur. You're Uther's son, why wouldn't he be?".

"…I know. I just wish he had told me sooner" he replied. "I still can't believe I managed to convince father that Merlin is not our enemy. Of all the things I believed impossible... He said that the reason he believed me is because he trusts how much faith and trust I have in Merlin".

"I heard you told him that you would bet your life that Merlin wasn't against Camelot. That was brave of you Arthur, you didn't know how he would react, he could have revoked your right to the throne for that".

"How did you know I said that? It was only father and I in the hall".

"Morgana. She stayed near the side entrance and listened in on your conversation" Gwen smiled.

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's definitely something Morgana would do" he continued, smiling.

* * *

Morgana sat on the bed in her chambers, staring at nothing in particular. _'Merlin had magic' _she thought. '_That explains so much'._ Like Arthur, she couldn't believe that he hadn't told her. If he had told her before, he could have helped her. She could have made sense of her dreams, with his help they could have changed Uther's mind about magic.

She had watched her sister attack Arthur, and Merlin's reaction was amazing. His magic was powerful, powerful enough to withstand Morgause. Morgause had used an extremely powerful spell, but she noticed that Merlin didn't even have to use words. Their magic was so great, but Merlin had beaten her. Merlin was better than her. She couldn't believe it. All this time, Merlin was hiding a secret, and she sympathised with him - she knew what that was like. However, she also knew that it must have been harder for him than it was for her. She was the King's ward. If her magic was discovered, the King's feelings for her may have granted her some sort of clemency, or forgiveness, but Merlin was a servant. Uther would not care about who he was, who he was friends with, who's servant he was. He would have executed the moment his magic was discovered, no trial, no questions.

She almost couldn't blame him for not telling her. She was so terrified of her own magic, knowing Merlin's secret may have been too much for her to handle.

She thought of all the situations that he got out of, when it seemed the most impossible, and now everything made sense. She realized that Merlin had already revealed his magic to the entire royal court. Back when Gwen was falsely imprisoned for using magic, and poisoning Camelot's water supply, Merlin had burst into the hall and announced that he was the sorcerer. He had revealed his secret in order to protect Gwen. He was lucky when Arthur started making fun of him then. If it were not for Arthur, he would already be dead. Part of her wished that Arthur had let Merlin die then, it would have made things so much simpler. Merlin would have died, and she and Morgause would have already taken Camelot. She would never have been poisoned by Merlin during the time that the Knights of Medhir came to Camelot - something she wanted to punish Merlin for.

Yet, looking back, she knew that Merlin had every right to do what he did. If it were not for the spell that Morgause had placed on her, the sleeping curse would never have fallen on Camelot. She had never really thought about what had happened that day, she had always just accepted that it was all Merlin's fault.

Had it though? Was it really all Merlin's fault? Morgause was the one that placed her under a spell. Morgause was the one that marched on a defenceless Camelot with the immortal Knights of Medhir. Morgause was the reason the Merlin had to do what he did, otherwise Arthur would have been killed. She wouldn't have cared if it were only Uther's life that were under threat, but the Knights would have killed Arthur too had they gotten the chance. That was something she never wanted to happen. Even before she had found out that Uther was her father, she loved Arthur like a brother. Finding out that he actually was did not change those feelings.

No, she didn't blame Merlin any more. Not now that she thought about it, not now that she realized who was really responsible for what happened. She hadn't even agreed to what Morgause had done. She had told her that she was willing to help get rid of Uther, but she had not agreed to having the spell placed on her. She couldn't believe that her sister had done that without her permission, without even telling her afterwards. She had only been able to work it out for herself during the next day, during the time that everyone was falling asleep under the curse. Sure Morgause had cured her of the poison that Merlin had used, but who's fault was it that she had to be poisoned in the first place? Not Merlin's, it was Morgause.

She still couldn't believe what Morgause had done. She was so shocked that she had turned up, she promised to tell her before doing anything like that. She had done the one thing that she had always warned Morgana not to do - let her emotions get the better of her. She was such a hypocrite.

Thinking about Merlin, she hoped that he was okay, alive and safe. She hoped that he would return…if there was a Camelot to return to. She walked over to the window and looked towards the borders. Within hours, there would be thousands of men coming over that hill. _'What is Morgause thinking?'_ she thought. '_She doesn't know what she's doing'. _

This time, she didn't know if she could side with her sister. She didn't agree with what she was doing. It was unplanned, risky, and completely stupid. By attacking Camelot, the only thing she was going to achieve was a destroyed city. Could she really go along with Morgause's plan this time? It would be a massacre, something she didn't want to happen in the first place. The only thing she truly desired was to see Uther off the throne. She had heard that he had stopped the search for Morgause and Merlin, but she knew that he would continue it the moment that the oncoming battle was over. She knew Uther well, and his mind would never accept magic as something that could be used for good. As soon as the battle was over, he would return to the search for Merlin - as no doubt Morgause would be involved in the battle - and he would see him burn for using magic. She knew that there was no way Uther would accept magic - if there were she would have revealed her powers a long time ago.

So as she sat in the dark, she sighed, thinking about the bloodshed that was now becoming inevitable.

* * *

Merlin looked at the plate that sat ten feet in front of him. He stared at it continuously, focusing all of his magic on that one plate. He willed it to move, fly into the air…something. Nothing happened, his instinctual magic wasn't even functioning properly. He stretched out his hand in irritation, focusing harder on moving the plate, not only wanting the plate to move, but needing it to. He needed to know that his magic was still inside him, that he hadn't lost it.

He could feel the magic inside him, building up, being pushed in the direction of the plate. He was alone in a clearing several feet away from the camp, giving his privacy to practise his magic.

'_Move. Move.' _he thought.

The plate began to wobble slightly, it was only a small movement, but it gave him hope. He tried again. His magic moved through his arm, to his outstretched hand, and towards the plate. It began to move again, a little more than it had before. Again, it slowed, before coming to a complete stop.

"MOVE!" he shouted, his anger getting the better of him.

The plate lifted into the air suddenly, but shattered into a thousand pieces before he could realize what he had done. Seeing the pieces of clay all around him, he sighed.

'_I really hope this isn't permanent' _his mind wondered.

* * *

**So maybe OOC for Morgana but I couldn't have her as evil, because I miss the nicer version of her. Plus having so many enemies at once seems a little like overkill - unless you guys want me to make her evil "Mwah ha ha!" :D  
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **

**Enjoy! Wrote my comments to reviews at the bottom of the page - Thanks for the fab reviews btw!**

**Disclaimer: do not own 'Merlin' - that's a good thing, believe me, the BBC do an awsome job!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Fire - It was all around. He looked up at the castle from the courtyard, debris making the castle look like ruins. Even though it was a dark night, Camelot was lit up from the light of the fire. It was part of the castle that was alight, but it was dying down now. So why did he feel like there was something worse coming? He began to look around, not even feeling the movement. He saw people standing at the entrance to the courtyard, in shock at the site of the castle. Then he saw those that he recognized. Standing ready in armour and swords in hands were Uther and Arthur, who were also looking around them at the ruins. They were still on the alert of something else that was going to happen, but what was it? What had happened? What was going to happen? _

_Both father and son appeared half-dead on their feet, cuts and bruises showing on their faces, as well as soot from the fire. Then their eyes looked in his direction. He couldn't tell what they were thinking, but they looked afraid. Afraid of him? Merlin continued to look around him. He__ ignored all the sounds around him, and listened for something. This was not over, this was only the beginning._

"MERLIN!"

* * *

Merlin jumped forwards from the bed, and found himself staring into the darkness of his tent. He had been frozen for several moments, staring unblinkingly into the darkness, before he remembered to breathe again.

He had recognized the voice that called his name, but he couldn't place it. He couldn't even remember if it had been male or female, if he trusted the person, or even liked them. He was too busy remembering the picture he saw of Camelot, the ruins firm within his mind. The voice seemed like a distant echo in comparison with the destruction he saw.

'_I'm not a seer…what was that?' _Merlin thought. Was the curse beginning to make his magic play games with him? Was this a side-effect of the curse? So many questions filled his mind, and he was unable to answer any of them. He needed to talk to Kilgharrah.

Leaving his tent, he found that morning had come, and the druids were busy with their chores. It felt strange to not be chasing after Arthur doing his chores, or doing chores for Gaius. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but he actually missed it all. He looked around, looking for the dragon, but was unable to find him – which would not have been hard if he was actually there considering his size.

"Emrys? How are you this morning?" Alaunus asked, walking up to Merlin.

"I'm…well, not much different. I can still feel my magic inside me, so it's not gone just yet" he replied. "Where did Kilgharrah go?"

"He went hunting – he doesn't eat the same food as us, you know, he eats things a little bit bigger than rabbits" he answered with a small smile.

Merlin returned the smile and gave a nod in reply.

He took a small bread roll, and walked away from the camp, trying to find somewhere that he could think with no distractions. After walking around for a few minutes, he knew exactly where to go. Within another few minutes, he found himself looking across the lake where he laid his only love, Freya, to rest. It was so calm and peaceful, with no other sound apart from the water and the wind in the trees. It was the perfect place to think, and work on his magic.

He sat by the water, looking across the lake at the still water, remembering letting Freya float out onto it, while the small boat she was on burned around her. Fire. It reminded him again of his dream. There was so much devastation in the great city; it terrified him thinking that it could have been a dream of the future. He thought about whether or not this was something that was definitely going to happen, or if he could avoid it altogether.

To see Camelot burn to the ground…it was something he might not recover from.

* * *

Arthur was now wearing his armour, and was preparing himself for the arrival of the enemy army. They were still not within their sights, but Camelot's knights would not leave the city to meet them. Uther knew that by going out to meet a magically protected army, it would only make lower Camelot's numbers easier, as they would be out in the open. Camelot's citadel had never been taken; therefore staying near to it if they needed to retreat was the best option.

Arthur looked out his window at the knights that were lining up in the courtyard. He knew that a good number of them were probably going to die that day. There was nothing that he could do to stop that – unless he suddenly found a way to prevent Morgause from attacking the city in the first place. He fiddled with the ties on his gauntlet, not really focusing on trying to get them tied. He turned away from the window, and tried to focus on fastening the ties.

He couldn't get the images of the knights out of his mind, the picture of Morgause appearing in the hall crept into his thoughts, inevitably leading to remembering the sight of Merlin with a dagger in his stomach. He lost his temper with the ties that were refusing to come together in a knot, and threw the gauntlet across the room at nothing in particular. He turned again, and placed his hands on the fireplace, leaning his weight against it.

"Arthur? What was…?" came Morgana's voice, as she popped her head around his door. She stopped talking when she saw the gauntlet lying aimlessly on the other side of the room.

"Sorry, Morgana, I was just…um…" Arthur tried to reply.

"It's alright, Arthur. I know you're worried, we all are" she replied, putting on her best 'nice Morgana' acting.

Except she wasn't sure if she was acting. She knew that she had to pretend to be worried about Merlin, and pretend to be worried about Arthur as he prepared to go and fight and potentially die, but she didn't know how much of it was acting. Part of her was worried for Arthur; after all they had grown up together. And Merlin…even though she knew that she should hate him for poisoning her, she felt scared not knowing if he was alive.

She moved into the room and picked up the gauntlet. Moving towards Arthur, she gently took his arm and tied the gauntlet around it herself.

"Thanks…" whispered Arthur.

"Arthur, don't worry about Merlin. We both know what he's like".

"Yeah, the big idiot is probably sitting around a camp fire somewhere with not a care in the world, being clumsy and doing something stupid…" he replied, slight sarcasm in his voice, but his tone sounded rahter harsh. "I'm sorry, Morgana, I'm just not happy with the fact that he could be lying dead right now, and if he isn't then I'll have to get used to the fact that he's…".

"A sorcerer…" she finished, still as shocked as he was about the whole thing.

Arthur nodded in reply. She knew that she was not going to get much more out of him, he was too distracted.

* * *

Merlin got up, knowing that he had probably been away from camp for a little longer than he had intended. With a last look at the lake, he started turning away from the beauty of the grave he had given to Freya. Then he suddenly felt his eyes flash gold, and the wind abruptly picked up, the clouds turned dark, swirling around the lake. Within seconds, what was once a bright and beautiful day, was now dark and lighting was sounding overhead.

The water was becoming wild, as the magic continued to affect the atmosphere around him, his eyes still their golden colour, but were getting a more obvious golden colour, brighter than the scales on the great dragon himself. He felt the magic building up inside him, aware that he was beginning to lose control of it. He could feel it slipping away from him, it terrified him. Thinking that he was losing control, it was acting of its own accord, his magic was becoming volatile. He had to hold onto it, stop it from going completely beyond his power.

It was using all of his energy to try and stop, to break the spells that were being cast. He couldn't breathe properly; it was like something was crushing his chest. A few seconds felt like hours, hours during which he couldn't breathe, couldn't control his magic. His vision was playing up, black spots appearing in his sight. He had to pull it back, force his magic back into submission.

He fell backwards, and the magic stopped, like it was the force of his landing that stopped it. His breathing slowly started returning back to normal.

_'What was that?' _Merlin thought.

He had landed on his back, and now sat up slightly, leaning on his elbows, breathing deeply. He closed his eyes as the dizziness hit him. The curse was becoming steadily worse, he could tell. He was glad that he was away from camp; otherwise there may have been injuries. Merlin opened his eyes once he was sure that the dizziness had passed.

He was just starting to think that the curse was giving way.

This little episode was evidence that it was not over yet.

* * *

**Thanks for reading people! **

**Comments:**

**bookaddict27 - **her character did jump from nice to evil pretty fast, didn't it? Thanks for the review!  
**hazelbunny - **Thanks! completely agree - i miss nice morgana, but i still love her as evil :D  
**Emachinescat - **Thanks! :D  
**NykSkyBlue - **Just wait, it's going to probably get worse for Merlin :( Thanks for the review!  
**Naisa - **love the suggestion, I'll definitly take it into account! it actually gave me a few more ideas - so thanks a bunch!  
**MamzelleHermy -** I'll agree I am used to seeing her as evil - she plays it so well in the tv series, katie's a brilliant actress (her evil smile is brilliant! :D)  
**Darkenwood - **Shouldn't be too long a wait for the next chapter - as long as these exams don't get too in the way :)  
**Cheertastic978 - **Thanks! I'll definitly try to update faster with the next one, just got a little distracted at school - i aim for every monday or tuesday :)

**Virtual cookies to all of the above, thanks to your reviews, I didn't stop typing for three hours straight - writing future chapters! Just goes to show that reviews are excellent bribes for writing more. Especially right now, what with the exams coming up! That's why I'm thanking everyone whos ever reviewed up till now - I sometimes forget and when I get the email that someone's reviewed, it gives a big ol' kick to my memory :D Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

**Disclaimer - Unfortunately I don't own Merlin…yet! He he :D**

**There is one name that I'm not sure of - quoted from the show so it could easily be typed incorrectly. Sorry about that :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

He walked through the camp, watching as the druids went about their business: cooking food; washing dishes; fixing clothing. He wished he could go back to a life that simple. He remembered living in Ealdor, and nor having a care in the world. Sure there was the odd time where there was some excitement that nearly matched that of his present life, but nothing like it was in Camelot. Back in Ealdor, the most danger he had ever faced was when he nearly flattened old man Simmons trying to cut down a tree using his magic. He was in huge trouble that day - not that he cared about getting in trouble with him, he never really liked the man anyway.

He didn't want to stop and talk to anyone. He just wanted to find Kilgharrah. He found Alaunus, who was sitting with a small child, Raven. On asking Alaunus where Kilgharrah was, he stood and looked at Merlin with some thought.

"He's…over there" he replied, pointing towards the clearing Merlin had been in previously, when he tried to make the plate levitate. He couldn't see Kilgharrah as the clearing was well hidden.

"Are you okay?" Merlin asked, seeing that Alaunus was still watching him.

He took a moment to think about his reply.

"I think it's best if I allow Kilgharrah to do the explaining. He knows everything better than I do" he finally said.

If Merlin was not worried before, he certainly was now. Alaunus was not the only one watching Merlin cautiously. Where they scared that he was going to suddenly cast magic without being aware of it? _'I thought they weren't concerned about that…'_ he thought, remembering how unbothered they were by the mishaps earlier.

Merlin left the camp and went to Kilgharrah. He finally saw the golden dragon standing in the clearing that was covered with leaves. He had been waiting for him.

"There you are, Merlin. I asked Alaunus to send you to me the moment you returned from your walk" he began.

"He did, I just got back".

"Is the spell still affecting you, young warlock?" the dragon asked, fully aware of what the answer would be.

"Yes…I think it's getting worse…" Merlin replied.

The dragon bowed his head slightly, his eyes sad. Merlin saw that he had something else that he had to tell him, but he was trying to work out how to tell him. During his hesitation, Merlin spoke up.

"Kilgharrah…whatever is going on…could you please just tell me. I don't like being kept in the dark about things, you know that" to which Merlin saw the dragon nod.

"I have information for you Merlin, something that you're not going to like…".

Merlin looked on in confusion, worry set deep in his eyes.

* * *

Everyone was moving about the place, running from place to place. Time was running out. Women and children were being moved into the castle to protect them, the medical ward was still being prepared, and armour was still being put on after spending ages trying to prepare the weapons.

Arthur found himself helping out wherever he could - moving beds into the throne room for the people; moving beds into the medical ward; finding more weapons. He knew that it was probably pointless. The army they were going up against was one protected by magic. He had no doubt that Morgause would not be the only user of magic that would be fighting in the attack.

No, the outlook of the battle was not good.

Arthur finally found a few moments to himself, and returned to the battlements, looking over Camelot. He stared in the direction of Cenred's kingdom once more. The sun still shone down upon Camelot, as it had only just gone mid-day. It wouldn't be till night fall that the army would attack, but he was beginning to think that the waiting would be worse than the actual fighting. Once in the fighting, he knew exactly what to do, he'd spent his entire life training for situations like this one. Waiting for the battle to commence made him feel useless, there was nothing really for him to do…except worry about a certain idiot.

He needed something to distract his mind from his servant - anything. Like an answer to his silent prayers, his father came up to him, already in his armour, his sword hanging from his belt.

"Arthur, how are the preparations coming along?" he asked.

"Well. The knights are nearly ready, just dressing in their armour. The hospital ward is ready for any injured, and the people from the remaining villages are coming in the city as we speak. They are heading straight for the castle, and will be shown where to go by guards and knights that I have asked to help out" he replied

"Good, we should be ready for them when they arrive" Uther replied.

Arthur continued to look out across the city, even when he had spoken he hadn't bothered turning around to face his father, he just continued staring at the trees that lined the forest. Uther looked over his son with a hesitant look on his face. He knew something was bothering Arthur, but he had never been good at talking about emotions, or that type of thing. It was moments like this that he started to think about his son's mother, Ygraine, and wished that she was still there.

Before he could speak again to Arthur, a guard came over to him, and told him that the council requested his presence, as they had still to finalise the plan of attack. With a nod of a farewell to Arthur - who returned it - he left, leaving Arthur alone once again.

* * *

Morgana had been watched the small conversation between her father and her unknowing brother. That was something she still could not get out of her head, something that she would always despise. She was the daughter of the King of Camelot, Uther Pendragon. She could easily have handled being Arthur's sister, after all they had grown up like that. She could feel a part of her that still felt that way towards Arthur, but Uther…he was completely different. To be the daughter of someone who would have you executed the moment they found out who you truly were was something she hated more than anything. Her hatred for Uther had only grown upon discovering that she was a Pendragon.

If Morgause entered Camelot tonight, and requested that she join her, she knew that the temptation to do so would be huge. Merlin had betrayed her, he had left her to suffer alone, when he could have revealed his secret and helped her. And to get her revenge on her father for all the terrible things that he had done, all the people that he had murdered…it would be the greatest moment of her life. Her wicked smile was cut short by the knowledge that other people would be hurt too. She remembered when Merlin had told her that women and children were dying, during the time that she helped Morgause raise the army of skeletons. He had told her that Camelot would fall. She remembered her reply like it was only yesterday - "Good".

She thought of all the people who's lives had been lost that day, people who had had nothing to do with Uther except from living within his kingdom. They had been innocent, just like the people that Uther had murdered. Did that make her as bad as him?

'_No, I will not think like that. I did what I did because he deserves it. All those people were just collateral damage' _she said to herself.

That didn't stop her thinking about them. She felt totally and completely conflicted about everything in her life now, all because of Uther's hatred for magic. If it were not for his hatred, there would be no need for her to hide her gifts, no need for her to stand up against him, and certainly no need for lives to be lost.

Drawing herself away from her reasoning, she walked to Arthur, who still stood looking towards the forest, despite the fact that the sun still shone brightly. She copied him, staring into the direction she knew her sister would soon come from. She would be glad to see her again, she had never before felt accepted until Morgause had turned up. Perhaps that would have been different if she had known about Merlin's magic. Thinking again of Merlin, she felt the hatred she still had for him. That hatred was enough to send her to Morgause with no hesitation, but Morgause's actions worked against her favour. She knew that she didn't entirely agree with what her sister was planning, but if it would finally get Uther of the throne….

* * *

**You should all know that I've started a poll so I can choose which story to focus on writing more on - this or my other story 'Life Continues'.  
****If you would like me to write more for this story - focus on this one more - then I'd suggest voting :)**

**Comments: I would first of all like to thank all those who reviewed - you are completely and amazing awesome! **

**Darkenwood - **Thanks a bunch! I completely agree, her attitude is a little repetitive :)

**EyesofaWolf202 - **Thanks a lot for your review! And you can have an extra virtual cookie if you like :D

**bookadict27 - **I'm the same, love stories that involve dreams, etc :) Thanks for reviewing!

**starzinmieyez - **Thanks for the review! :D

**Inkycat - **Thank you! :D I'll agree, I miss the nice Morgana :)

**Naisa - **Loved your suggestion :D Love inner-conflict in characters - you can make it all so much more dramatic :D I love Freya's character - it's a shame they killed her off, she and Merlin totally belong together! :)

**Revriley - **Loved your comment, I bow to your kindness! :D Thanks for the fab review. I've read some of your stories in the past and they are really good! You're a really good writer too!

**And once more I give virtual cookies to any reviewers that come my way - just because I can =D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Merlin does not, and never shall, belong to me. The only thing here which i claim to actually be mine is the story itself. **

**Any mistakes are completely my own - but if there are any serious ones please point them out - you know how it annoys me :) **

**I deleted the previous chapter 10 and replaced it with this one, as someone pointed out it was pretty off at a tangent. So hope this is a little improved. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Why didn't you come and find me sooner? We should be heading there now! I need to be there, Kilgharrah" Merlin shouted.

Upon hearing that Morgause was leading an army of Cenred's men to Camelot, he had all but left the camp. He would've have started running there already, but the problem of not knowing exactly where he was stopped him. He would need Kilgharrah or the druids help to get him there.

"I apologize, young warlock, but there is nothing you can do to protect Camelot, or the prince while still in your condition. It would be foolish and very dangerous for you to be using your magic at a time like this, Merlin. Little tricks will not harm you much, but the amount of power and strength you will need to defeat Morgause and her army is too great for you while you are still vulnerable to her curse" Kilgharrah explained, as Merlin paced backwards and forwards across the clearing.

Slowing down, but still pacing, Merlin turned to the dragon.

"That's not good enough, you know as much as I do that if I don't get there in time, I won't be able to protect Arthur. Please, you have to take me there" Merlin all but begged.

"I will, young warlock, but now is not the time. You still need to rest and recover, Merlin. I won't put you in risk by taking you back to Camelot too early. If you turn up, Uther will probably throw you straight into the dungeon" he replied.

Merlin groaned. This time he stopped and turned to face the great dragon that stood in front of him.

"That's not good enough!" he repeated. "If I don't get there in time…I nearly didn't make it last time, and look how that turned out…".

The dragon's eyes looked sad, but this was wasted on Merlin, as he was looking at the floor. Out of nervous habit, he started pacing again, bringing his hands together, tapping his fingers on the back of his hand.

"Merlin, do not worry. They will not arrive in Camelot until sunset, and you need to focus on controlling your magic, which I think you are currently losing-" he replied.

Merlin felt his magic rush inside him again, and knew his eyes had turned gold once more. All the leaves that once lay on the ground had been floating around him, rising higher and higher, until they above his head. Merlin watched as they suddenly burst into flames. He ducked, throwing an arm over his head to protect himself, but it was over as quickly as it had began. The flames abruptly died, and the ashes fell to the ground, mixing with the soil.

Merlin slowly stood, looking around him.

"Why does this keep happening? I thought the curse was meant to remove my powers in order to kill me, not make them unpredictable" Merlin asked, looking around him.

"Your magic, isn't something that is learned, Merlin, it's instinctual. You were born with magic, you are magic. Because your magic is so immense, it's trying to fight back. Unfortunately, that means that if you start to lose control of your emotions, you will lose control of your magic also. Your magic is part of your soul, which means that if anything damaging happens to you - physically, mentally, emotionally - your magic will also be affected" he explained.

"So basically I need to keep my emotions in check, otherwise it'll go crazy? Brilliant, just what I need…" Merlin replied, shaking his head in irritation.

* * *

Arthur turned as Morgana walked towards him, her heels obviously catching his attention. He smiled slightly as she stood beside him.

"Arthur, I was wondering where you were. A patrol has been sent out to the border, and will return the moment they have spotted the enemy" she explained, just having come from the throne room.

"Good, I suppose…" Arthur began.

"Arthur? What is it?" Morgana asked, looking up from the view over the battlements to look at her brother.

"...I don't think that this going to be enough. You know as well as I that we are not just up against Cenred's armies, but also against magic. Morgause's magic. Our armies alone cannot defeat them".

"What else would you have your father do, Arthur? He will not simply surrender, Camelot will not voluntarily give in to sorcery".

"I was not suggesting that, Morgana. I was...I don't know, just thinking out loud, I guess".

Morgana watched her brother as he joined looked up from the stone of the wall to look back across the city, looking mainly in the direction of the border.

"I understand. I too have my doubts about this attack, they have very powerful magic protecting them, and Camelot will be vulnerable to any magical attack" Morgana continued, hiding her smile at the thought.

"Then there must be something else that we can do to withstand them, especially since most of the people of Camelot, including a few of the knights, believe that we have no chance".

"I said it before - what would you have Uther do? He knows of no way to protect our armies against magic" Morgana argued.

"We should ask Gaius. He used to use magic, he knows pretty much everything about it. He might know something" Arthur continued.

"Your father has already requested Gaius' presence in the throne room, but he has been busy sorting out the medical ward. Gwen and I are going to help, as well as a few of the women from the towns and villages who have a general knowledge of what they'll be doing" Morgana explained. "Gaius sent a message saying that he would be there as soon as he could, but I don't see what he can tell us that will help us defeat this army, Arthur".

Before Arthur could think about what he was about to say, it just burst out.

"What about magic? Why can't we -".

"Arthur, you can't be suggesting that we use magic?"

"Why not? If we're going up against magic, why not use the same weapon? Then we might stand a chance".

"No, Arthur, Uther will never be on the same side as those that consort with magic. He will not hear you suggest such a thing, he would remove your title!".

"Not all those that have magic can be evil. I already know people that aren't-".

"Merlin will not be spoken of positively by Uther. He may be less angered by his betrayal because you trust him, but he will never trust Merlin or anyone else for that matter, just because you say so. Surely you know your own father better than that?" Morgana asked.

"He isn't the only one who is not evil and possesses magic. Gaius does too, and father trusts him more than half of the council! Before the great purge, some of his closest advisors had magic!".

"That was before he realized that they would turn against their king, a king who will have then all killed without a second thought. He believes that all those with magic will only ever lie and betray you, Arthur, and considering Merlin's actions have proven that to be true, you should be against him. Merlin lied to you, betrayed you. He has magic, that makes him your enemy".

"I won't believe that!".

"Arthur, look around you. That servant of yours has lied to you and everyone else for nearly four years! If he really trusted you, if he really isn't the person Uther believes him to be, then why hasn't he told you? Everything he's ever said to you could have been a lie. He could've been helping the enemies of Camelot, for all we know. I've seen the way you act together, Arthur - you let him insult you and get away with it! If it were anyone else, you would have thrown them in the dungeon. You let him get away with it because you trust him, but he obviously doesn't trust you, does he?" Morgana retorted.

"I'm sure he had his reasons-" Arthur replied, looking slightly put out.

"No doubt something along the lines of planning Camelot downfall. You cannot trust those with magic, Arthur. They will never side with you, and especially not your father. Magic is Camelot's enemy, has been for over twenty years" Morgana interrupted. "There is nothing that you can say that will change Uther's mind on the subject, no matter how he reacted to your faith in Merlin, he will always hate magic, and always be against it".

Morgana didn't bother waiting for a reply. She walked away from Arthur and the battlements, this time not hiding her smirk, leaving through one of the tower doors, leaving Arthur on his own. Just as she was leaving she turned to the forest that lined the border and smiled again, knowing what was coming. Merlin was out there somewhere, hopefully unaware of everything that was happening - that would make discovering Camelot destroyed all the worse for him. _'But if he knows, then he would probably come back to Camelot. Uther would not allow that, despite anything he says about trusting Arthur's judgement...'_ she thought.

Once Morgana was gone, he looked over the battlements, and saw Arthur leaning forwards onto the wall, his eyes scrunched up in anger. Gaius walked forwards towards the young prince, stopping at his side. Arthur gave him a nod in acknowledgment of his presence.

"My lord? Is everything alright?" Gaius asked, when Arthur didn't say anything.

"Fine" he replied harshly. "Sorry, Gaius, I'm just…feeling a little conflicted" he added, a little softer.

"Understandable, my lord. This battle will be difficult, going up against them when you know that the weapon that will definitely make you succeed in battle is something that is banned by your father would-".

"It's not just that Gaius….It's Merlin, more than anything…".

"You're worried about him?".

"No…Yes…Maybe, it depends on…".

"Depends on, Sire?".

"Merlin. I still can't get my head around the fact that he's been lying to me, or that he has magic. It's something I would never have thought possible" Arthur explained.

"Of course…but you know that he did have his reasons, many of them. Would you have told him if you were in his position?".

"Yes, of course I would have".

"Really? When you know that magic is outlawed, and punishable by death, you would have told people?".

"This is Merlin we're talking about, Gaius. I trust…trusted him more than anyone".

"Trusted?" Gaius commented. "Sire, I assure you that there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't want to tell you. It tore him apart knowing that he couldn't-".

"No, that wasn't why I…you saw what happened when he left Camelot, Gaius. Do you honestly think he's still alive?" he asked, turning to face Gaius.

Gaius hesitated, and looked to the side, not knowing how to answer.

"The wound would have bleed a lot. It looked like it ran deep. If he didn't…die from blood loss, he would have received an infection. Then there's the little matter of the glowing light that was on the dagger".

"Yes, I saw that too. What was it?".

"I'm not entirely sure, I didn't get time to examine it. At that distance the most I could tell was that it was some sort of spell that Morgause put on it, which is probably bad news for Merlin. It probably wasn't a healing spell, after all" he finally responded.

If anything, Arthur looked more concerned. He didn't know what to think, there was so much going on. He knew that they had little to no chance of getting out of this battle alive. He knew that magic was the only way to ensure their success, but it would never be used. He knew that Merlin was probably dying, if not already dead. And, what he felt was the worst, he knew that Merlin had lied to him, hadn't trusted him.

Gaius watched Arthur with curiosity. He had heard the conversation between Arthur and Morgana, and he knew that the uncertainty within Arthur right now was because of her. Arthur did not look as concerned about the oncoming battle or Merlin before their discussion. He was not thinking this seriously about Merlin having lied to him, having not trusted him. He could see it all on Arthur's face. His thoughts were so clear by his expression. Morgana had put the thought into his head, and it was conflicting with his thinking. She had obviously done this on purpose. '_What exactly is she planning this time?'_ he thought, knowing that there is always a reason behind everything Morgana does.

He was about to reassure the prince, when Arthur turned to him and thanked him for listening to him, and left the room, heading towards the throne room once more, to check the final preparations for battle.

* * *

Merlin found himself by the lake again. This time he didn't bother trying to control his magic. He didn't bother trying to cast even the simplest of spells. The reason he came was so that he could try to calm down his emotions - since they appeared to be a major part of the problem. Sitting near the water's edge, he closed his eyes, and tried to focus on his breathing. He heard nothing but the silnce, but this only seemed to unnerve him. He knew from experience that when everything went silent, something bad usually happens.

Opening his eyes, he saw the sun shinning off the water, sending an almost transparent rainbow through the air. It didn't look like a rainbow though, it sparkled, and seemed to be moving in the wind. He concentrated harder on the rainbow, and saw that there was an image of something forming within it. He was certain that this was not his doing. His magic was under control at that moment. There was a cloud of red and black forming something within the image. Before he could determine what it was exactly, he heard a twig snap somewhere behind him, forcing him to swing around, away from the image.

He got up, and looked around at the trees that lined the clearing at the lake, holding his breath. Again there was only the silence, and nothing moving around. He waited over a minute before he moved his eyes away and started breathing again. _'Probably an animal' _he thought. As he started turning back towards the lake, he heard another twig snap. His head jolted back around, staring into the direction of the noise.

"Who's there?" he called, feeling his magic preparing to come to his aid, even though he knew he couldn't use it, otherwise he would be risking making the curse a lot worse.

He thought perhaps one of the druids had come to check up on him. What he didn't expect was to see a someone else walk out from behind the trees, someone he recognized immediately. He was unable to hide his surprise as his eyes widened.

* * *

**Parts of it I didn't completely know how to write - for instance the battle plan, I'm not exactly Napoleon or whatever. So any info about attack formation, divisions, army stuff etc, is basically taken from history class and the wonderful wonders of the internet :) Thanks for the reviews - they make me spend more time on the chapter I'm presently writing so virtual cookies to all those that have commented so far!**

**Comments:**

**bookadict27 - **First off, thanks for the review! There should be more conflicted emotions in Morgana coming up - hehe.

**Naisa - **Thanks! I really love writing Morgana conflict now :D Thanks for the review and for voting :)

**Inkycat - **I love that word - Awsomey! :D I'm officially obsessed with it! Thanks for reviewing!

**Darkenwood - **You're welcome! I will definitely be continuing this story till I come to the end - so don't worry about me getting near the end then deciding that I'm not going to :) Thanks for the review!

**NykSkyBlue - **Thanks for the double review! :D There's so much chat about Morgana and what she'll decide. I think that what will actually happen will surprise you all - lips are sealed!

**I feel since I've commented on reviews, I should probably thank all those who have reviewed who comments on the beginning chapters, because I never actually commented back then. So thanks guys! And girls of course ;) =D**

**Virtual cookies, ice cream and chocolate to all those who reviewed and who voted on the poll! You're all fab!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

**Disclaimer: As usual, Merlin is not under my ownership. Any mistakes, please point them out so I can change them - unless they're so teeny tiny that you're not that bothered by it :)**

**Last Chapter was deleted then changed, so if you haven't read the newest version, I suggest reading it before you continue - it was just Arthur's and Uther's scene that was changed, but very different, so you will definitely need to read it before continuing. Cookies if you're actually reading this by the way - not many people do so they've probably just missed out on my announcement there :) I accidently posted the chapter before I remembered to change it - the first copy didn't make any sense, and I had decided to change it but completely forgot! Idiot! :P =D**

**The poll vote has now closed and 'Reclaiming Camelot' won! I'll try and write more for this story then, but the exams should be finishing within a few weeks, so thank god for that!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"Merlin?" came a familiar voice.

Then two other people stepped out from behind the trees along with the person with the familur voice, but he only recognized two out of three. With smiles on their faces, they approached Merlin, with another man behind them - definitely someone who he had never seen before.

"Gwaine! Lancelot! What are you two doing here?" Merlin started, as he received a hug from both of his friends.

"Well, good to see you too, Merlin" Gwaine smiled, clasping a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"You've no idea how happy I am to see you two" Merlin replied. "But you two have never met. How the hell did you two end up meeting out here?".

"Well, since our introduction has been previously made, why don't I introduce you? This is Percival, we've been travelling together for a while" Lancelot said, bringing the tall man forwards so he could shake hands with Merlin.

"Nice to meet you" Merlin said.

"Same here. These two have told me a lot about you on the way here" Percival replied.

"Nothing bad I hope" he joked. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here?" Merlin asked, wondering if he'd ever get an answer.

The three men gave each other hesitant looks before they answered Merlin's question. _'What is going on?' _Merlin thought to himself as he glanced at each man in turn. When no one answered, he voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Well, Percival and Lancelot were in a village some distance over the border, in Cenred's kingdom. It's widely known that many of the borderline villages in his kingdom are not loyal to their king, in fact they are more loyal to Uther, so much so that they have practically moved the border because of it so that they can claim that they are actually in Uther's kingdom. Despite being blinded by something's he definitely takes better care of his people than Cenred does" Gwaine began.

"You were in Cenred's kingdom? How did you get out alive?" Merlin asked, knowing that Morgause's army had destroyed many a village on their way to Camelot.

"I take it you've already heard about the army that's heading for Camelot?".

"Yes, I'm still trying to get over the shock of it".

"Well, I arrived at the village that they were staying at, just after his army had reached it. When I got there, these two were helping to defend the people that lived there. The people were trying to escape with their lives, leaving everything behind, and I joined in, helping to push the soldiers back" Gwaine continued.

"With Gwaine's help, we managed to get most of the village out unharmed. We took them to a safer area, not too far from here" Lancelot added.

"We decided to continue towards Camelot to warn you and Arthur, but it seems that you already know, so let's get going. Arthur's going to need all the help he can get, despite what Uther will say" Gwaine continued.

When Merlin looked to the floor in regret, and Gwaine and Lancelot knew something was wrong. Even Percival, who didn't even know Merlin, could tell that there was something amiss.

"Merlin?" Lancelot started. "Merlin, what is it? What's happened?" he added when Merlin turned and walked back towards the water.

"Um…if you want to go, I suggest you go now. I won't be turning up…a least not for a while. I can't go back, not yet" he replied.

"What happened, Merlin?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin looked from Gwaine, to Lancelot. Lancelot looked around him and realized something.

"Where is Arthur?" he asked.

"He knows" Merlin stated, looking from Lancelot to the floor.

Gwaine and Percival looked to Lancelot. Those two words had explained everything to him. He was hit by the realization, and the complete shock of it. There was also a little curiosity hiding in the back of his mind. _'Why would that be a problem? Surely Arthur wouldn't…'. _Then he decided to voice his concerns aloud.

"What was Arthur's reaction?".

"I don't know. It all happened so fast, the only thing I really remember is Uther calling for the guards, and then I just got out of there".

"What are you two talking about?" Gwaine interrupted, but he was ignored.

"Uther found out? And you got out? How did you manage that?" Lancelot asked, in shock.

"I didn't exactly have the choice, Lancelot, my magic got me out of there without even thinking about it. I had arrived in the forest before I had even realized what had happened-".

"You have magic, Merlin? Well now, that explains a lot. Why didn't you just tell me?" Gwaine asked, smiling at Merlin.

"You're not mad?" Merlin asked, a little taken back.

"Of course not. I know that you're the kindest person on this planet, you could only hurt someone if it were to defend yourself or defend others. Please, don't tell me you actually thought that I would think you evil?".

"Arthur probably does. You should've seen the look on his face. That's one thing I definitely remember. He looked so…disappointed doesn't even cover it, he hated me…" he replied.

Gwaine and Lancelot looked like they shared Merlin's pain, knowing how much Merlin was loyal to Arthur. Percival was yet to say anything about the situation. Merlin looked at Percival with a waiting look on his face, and Percival commented when Merlin opened his mouth to say something.

"I have no problem with your magic, Merlin. I have known many people with magical abilities. Not all of them have been my enemies. I already know that magic can be used for good, and if these two trust then you certainly have my trust too" he said, smiling when Merlin smiled at his reply.

"You might still be in for a big surprise. I've been hiding out with the druids, they brought me here, healed me, and are trying to help me".

"Healed you?" Gwaine asked, looking Merlin over for an injury.

"When I revealed my magic…it wasn't exactly the most inconspicuous of ways. Morgause attacked Arthur, she turned up in the throne room, and tried to kill him. I only just managed to stop her in time, but at the same time she threw a dagger into my stomach. When she disappeared to retrieve the army, I nearly collapsed right there, but because my magic is so…instinctive it transported me far away from Camelot, where I was eventually found by an old friend, who in turn took me to the druids" he explained.

"So the druids aren't that far away from here then?" Gwaine asked, looking back to the forest.

"Yeah, don't worry though, they won't harm you. They're friends" Merlin replied.

"Wouldn't give them a chance!" Gwaine grinned, chuckling as he saw Merlin shaking his head in laughter.

"I'll take you to them. Oh, um…You should also know that there will be a dragon at the camp" Merlin added, almost laughing at their faces. "Don't worry, he won't eat you. I'm kind of also a dragon lord" he added, mumbling the last of his sentence.

"A dragon lord? Well, well done you, Merlin, you're certainly going up in the world" Gwaine replied, still smiling, making Merlin laugh all the more.

* * *

It took them fifteen minutes to get to the druid camp, the time spent with Merlin getting to know Percival a little better. When they arrived, everything was still. The druids were either gathered quietly around the fires, or away in their tents. Only the sound of an angry dragon could have disturbed the peace.

"Merlin, you should know better than to wonder off on your own, what with Morgause's army only drawing nearer to Camelot" he all but yelled.

"Hi, Kilgharrah, nice to see you again too. Look, I have a few people to introduce you to. They know my secret, so there is no harm with them being here. This is-".

"I know who they are, young warlock. This is Sir Gwaine, Sir Lancelot and Sir Percival" he replied, leaving astonished faces on all three of Merlin's friends.

"Sir?" all three asked in unison.

"Forgive me if I speak out of turn, but we are not Knights" Percival said.

"Not yet, Sir Percival, but that is what you and your friends will be recognized as for a long time to come" Kilgharrah replied. "And Merlin, the next time you decide to go for a walk, take someone with you. You shouldn't be left alone, not in your condition".

"Condition?" Lancelot asked, looking from the dragon to Merlin.

"You never told them?" Kilgharrah asked, sounding surprised.

"Of course not. It's not exactly something you say the moment you're reunited with old friends, and just making a new one" Merlin replied. Then he looked to the three men. "When Morgause threw that dagger at me…she cursed it. It's pretty much trying to kill me. It takes away my magic, because right now that is the only thing that's keeping me alive".

"And when you use your magic, it will only speed up the process, so I warn you Merlin, be careful" Kilgharrah added.

"You're dying?" Gwaine was the first to speak. "Is there anything we can do?".

Merlin shook his head. "There is nothing anyone can do. The healer's cannot get rid of the curse. It seems that I will have to fight it. It can only kill me if it can attack, and destroy the magic within me, so if I can stop that from happening - stop using my magic - I have a better chance at surviving".

"Does Arthur-?".

"He doesn't know, To be honest, he's probably thinking that I'm already dead, which is probably why they haven't sent out any patrols to find me. That or they just haven't found me yet. They'll be more concerned with Morgause's army at the moment, I'm sure once this is all over, Uther and Arthur will hunt me down" Merlin interrupted, finishing with a sad smile.

"Merlin, Arthur would never do that, he would never allow that-".

"Are you really sure of that, Lancelot? One hundred percent?".

He didn't reply. That was all the answer he needed.

"I'm not going back until later, if I show up earlier than needed, then they'll just throw me in the dungeons, if Uther doesn't have me killed on sight. But I am going back" Merlin continued.

"Then we're going with you" Gwaine said, as Percival and Lancelot nodded their agreement.

"I can't ask that of you, you could get yourselves killed-".

"It's a good thing you're not asking us then, isn't it Merlin?" Gwaine interrupted, walking forwards, and placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Face it, Merlin. We're not letting you do this alone" Percival added, also walking forwards.

"Arthur's going to be very shocked at seeing you guys".

"Well, we're not just doing this for Arthur, Merlin" Lancelot commented as he joined them, not needing to explain who they were also doing it for.

Merlin's gratefulness was obvious in his eyes, but he worried. Getting his friends hurt, possibly dead was something he didn't want to face.

* * *

**Hope everyone enjoyed this instalment! **

**Comments:**

**Michelle W - **thanks for the double review! Will definitly try to keep updating inside of a week - if I didn't have these stupid exams it would be a lot sooner!

**sesshouluver - **thanks for the review, love it when people try to guess who it is - I give away extra virtual cookies to anyone who guesses it correctly :D

**DragonflyonBreak - **thanks for your review, I appreciate critism so it's all good :) I changed the chapter after your review on the first version of Chapter 10, because reading over it, I tottally agree, it was a bit messed up :D

**Naisa - **Your comment made me laugh! Confliction club! XD I would've made Gaius more concerned but I figured he'd try to hide it in order to reassure Arthur.

**bookadict27 - **I'm wondering if it was a bit mean leaving the last chapter like that, everyone's was wondering who it was! Thanks, I tried - for a change - to try and get Morgana like she is in the show at the mo'.

**Darkenwood - **Thanks, I prefer to take my time because otherwise I won't understand my own story! :D Replaced old chapter - idiot that I am I put the wrong one up the first time! Thanks for the review!

**Emachinescat - **Thank you! Will definitely try to update more now that the poll has finished :D

**NykSkyBlue - **Thanks for the review! :D

**Thanks for the reviews, favourites, and story alerts!  
****Once more cookies and ice cream to reviewers, if you prefer any other type of virtual reward, just let me know! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

**Woo hoo! Chapter Twelve, hope everyone's keeping up! **

**Spent ages trying to get this chapter right. Hope I did, for your sakes. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Merlin paced in front of the fire as his friends prepared horses in order to start heading to Camelot. The time was getting close, Merlin could feel it, he could feel the wave of magic that protected Cenred's armies getting closer. They would be within sight within the hour, he was sure of it, and then they would arrive at Camelot. They needed to leave now, otherwise they would be trying to get through Morgause and her army in order to get to the Courtyard and actually be of help in the battle.

He didn't care about his curse. No matter what state he was in he had to be there. He couldn't leave Arthur to fight without him, not after everything they had gone through together - even if Arthur didn't really know half of it. No matter what happened, he had to be at Arthur's side when Morgause's army came down on Camelot.

Kilgharrah did not approve of this idea. He knew that it was Merlin's destiny to fight along side Arthur, but he could see how badly Morgause's curse had been affecting him. He was still having trouble controlling his magic, he could see the moments when Merlin would react to a sudden wave of power that he had had to keep at bay, in order to stop any harm being done. He could see how he was struggling to breathe as he did so. He was not the only one.

Gwaine had noticed that from time to time, Merlin would suddenly sit up straight, his mouth clamped tight shut. He was in pain, that much was obvious. He could only hope that the result of the battle would put an end to his suffering, preferably without his death.

"Emrys…".

Merlin stopped walking and turned to face Alaunus. He saw that there was a gathering of people behind him, practically the entire camp had left their tents and were now sitting together. He never knew that there was that many people. There must have been at least thirty men, fifteen women and just as many children.

"Alaunus, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I can't leave Camelot to defend itself against Morgause's magic, they will never get out of it alive-".

"I know, Emrys. I agree with you, I have heard the prophecies of Emrys and the once and future King of Albion" he interrupted. "I was not going to try and change your mind".

"You'd be the first" Merlin replied, looking over at Kilgharrah, whom he could have sworn he saw roll his eyes.

Alaunus chuckled lightly, obviously seeing the same thing as Merlin.

"We all understand why you must return to Camelot, Emrys. And we wish you the best of luck…".

"Somehow I don't think that that's all you have to tell me" Merlin said.

"No, it isn't. There are many of us here who have knowledge in weaponry, as well as a few more advanced spells. The women here have a great deal of knowledge on medicine and such, as do most of the children" Alaunus continued. "We would like to join you in the battle for Camelot".

There was silence throughout the camp as everyone waited for Merlin to answer. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was about to decide that he had simply imagined it, there would be no way that they would actually want to defend Camelot. Was this a joke? But the look on Alaunus's face, as well as that of those behind him, made him realize that he was perfectly serious.

"I…I am grateful for your offer, but there's no telling how Uther would react to all of you joining me in Camelot. He'll assume that we're there to lead the attack, he doesn't exactly trust magic, Alaunus".

"We will worry about that when we arrive, my Lord. Besides, if King Uther is unhappy with us trying to help him in this affair, we will gladly leave, and he cannot harm us, not as long as we remain together" he replied. "Worst comes to worst, we will use magic to transport ourselves away from the city".

Merlin needed a moment to think, they were actually willing to go to Camelot in order to save it, a city that is against everything that they stand for. He knew why, they knew of the prophecy, of how he and Arthur would bring magic back to the land and unite all of Albion in peace. They believed in it enough to enter the city that would see their kind killed. If he were in their shoes, he would want to do the same. Heck, he was in their shoes.

He nodded, and Alaunus gave a smile, turning to his people, who then stood also smiling. He could see the worry on their faces, but they were determined, every last one of them, even the children.

He knew how Uther would react to this, even Arthur might start to think that they were there to fight against Camelot. Part of him couldn't wait to see their faces when they found out the truth.

* * *

Arthur walked along the battlements once more, his father alongside him. They walked in silence until they came to the middle, and stopped to look towards the border that everyone in Camelot was beginning to be afraid of.

"Father…do you…trust my judgement?" Arthur asked cautiously.

He had been thinking about Morgana's words since she had said them. He couldn't get them out of his head. He needed to know, once and for all, if his father, his King, really did trust him when it came to Merlin. He feared Uther's hatred towards Merlin if - no, when - he returned. He knew that if Uther decided to have Merlin sentenced to death, Merlin wouldn't resist. '_He's that stupid'_ Arthur thought. He wanted to believe his father when he had said that he trusted his son on this matter, he had never looked so sincere before. But Morgana's words were nagging at him from the back of his mind, warning him that Uther's words may not have been true. He trusted them both, Morgana was like a sister to him, and her opinion mattered to him just as much as his father's did. He knew that he could trust Morgana in anything, even to watch his back in a fight - not that he'd admit it. He just had to know what was the truth.

"Of course I do, Arthur. If I did not I would not be sending you into this battle, now would I?" Uther chuckled, clasping his son by the shoulder.

Arthur chuckled slightly before continuing.

"That not what I meant, father. I know you trust me when it comes to fighting in battle, just as I trust the knights to do so".

"Then what did you mean?" Uther asked, looking away from the borderline, and towards his son.

"Did you-".

"Sires!" a loud voice interrupted.

Both Uther and Arthur turned in the direction of the voice. One of the knights was running towards them, Sir Peters. He appeared out of breath and holding onto the hilt of his sword that hung loosely at his waist. Arthur remembered that Sir Peters had been one of the men sent out on the patrol to the borderline to wait for any sight of the enemy. A horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach suddenly appeared, knowing full well what his return to Camelot meant.

"They've been sighted, My Lord. Not half a mile from the border. We should see them from here within the hour. It will then be another hour at the most before they arrive at the gates of the city" he reported.

"Thank you, Sir Peters. Inform the rest of the knights that they should attend to their posts, then return to yours. We should be ready by the time they arrive" Uther ordered.

"Yes, Sire" he replied.

He bowed to both his King then his Prince, and then turned to walk away so as to do as he was ordered. Silence filled the air, both men not speaking their thoughts aloud, because they were both thinking the same thing. Before Arthur could remember what he had intended to ask his father, Uther spoke.

"I must go see Gaius, make sure that the Medical Ward is ready. The council will be waiting for the news of the patrol, I must speak with them also. You should get some rest before they arrive, Arthur. Can't have our best swordsman collapsing in battle due to lack of sleep" he smiled.

He clasped Arthur's shoulder once more, then headed back in the direction that they had come from. Arthur looked over the city. Everything was still. There was no one there, everyone had been moved inside the protective walls of the castle. They were well on the other side, so the chances were that they wouldn't even know that the battle had started unless someone came and told them so, or - worse case scenario - they had lost and Morgause's army came bursting in.

Arthur sighed. If Merlin were there, he would be nattering incessantly about something completely unrelated, trying to cheer him up. He couldn't help but scoff at the thought of Merlin acting like his completely normal, silly self. There were times when he would say exactly what he needed to say, and it was during those moments that Arthur realized that perhaps Merlin wasn't as much of an idiot as he had first surmised. Then he would shake his head. Merlin - wise? Never.

He looked away from the border, unable to stand the stillness any more, when something else caught his eye. Something was coming out of the trees a couple of hundred feet away from the walls of Camelot. He saw people wearing robes of all different colours, all of them heading towards Camelot. But everyone had already been gathered inside the castle walls. Who were these people? There were so many of them to be thought of as a simple miscount by the guards. From where he was standing, it looked like there were only three people not wearing brightly coloured clothing. Some of them had their hoods up, covering their faces.

They seemed to be following four men that walked at the front of the group. Three of them were the ones not wearing the brightly coloured robes, the other had a blue cloak around him, with his hood pulled up.

He turned and ran away from the battlements and towards the gates of Camelot. If they were here for protection then they would certainly receive it. Perhaps they were residents in Cenred's Kingdom, and were seeking their protection. Their King was starting another war after all.

He ran down through the lower town, ordering some men to follow him as he went. The gates were opened once he arrived, and he started running out towards the group, that had almost reached the city walls. He slowed down as he neared them, realizing that he recognized two of the plainly dressed men.

"Lancelot? Gwaine? What are you two doing here?" he asked, a smile appearing on his face.

He heard his men coming up behind him, and looked behind the four men that stood in front of him. Who were these people? He brought his attention back to the four men in front of him. The man in the blue cloak was removing his hood slowly. He couldn't hide his surprise as he saw another person he recognized underneath the blue.

"Merlin?" he gasped, his eyes wide.

* * *

**Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favourites - and there were a lot more of them this time! Wow O Wow! Makes remebering to write a heck of a lot easier! :D**

**Comments:**

**sesshouluver - **i'm glad it was a nice surprise. i bet you were expecting morgause or something right? :D thanks for reviewing!

**felicity p. - **Thanks a bunch! Your welcome, and thanks so much for reviewing! :D

**bookadict27 - **Gwaine is definitely one of my favourites too! He's so funny! Thanks!

**Michelle W - **same here, i miss Merlin - apparently they're delaying showing 'Merlin' till January because 'Doctor Who' is on in the fall! So upset about that - but still love them both :) Thanks for reviewing! :D

**NykSkyBlue - **just gotta! Gwaine is fab! Thanks!

**Naisa - **Yum yum, ice-cream cookie dough! Like what you get from Pizza Hut! Gorgeous choice, you may indeed! Thanks for reviewing!

**Lozzy-Heartz-Bookz - **Thanks a bunch! :D

**Inkycat - **I don't mind, I'm just happy that you like this! Thanks for reviewing! LOVE THAT WORD! - awesomey! Your review is awesomey! :D

**Darkenwood - **I love that! Gwaine thinking "Let's go win a battle, so that we can get to the alehouse and celebrate"! I think he would definitely react like that! Thanks for reviewing! :D


	13. Chapter 13

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_He ran down through the lower town, ordering some men to follow him as he went. The gates were opened once he arrived, and he started running out towards the group, that had almost reached the city walls. He slowed down as he neared them, realizing that he recognized two of the plainly dressed men…_

"_Lancelot? Gwaine? What are you two doing here?" he asked, a smile appearing on his face…_

_He heard his men coming up behind him, and looked behind the four men that stood in front of him. Who were these people? He brought his attention back to the four men in front of him. The man in the blue cloak was removing his hood slowly. He couldn't hide his surprise as he saw another person he recognized underneath the blue…_

"_Merlin?" he gasped, his eyes wide…_

* * *

Arthur couldn't believe who he was seeing. Merlin. He was standing before him, looking all around him, anywhere but at Arthur. He was waiting for Arthur to say something. No one moved, they didn't know how Arthur was going to react to seeing Merlin again, and didn't want to influence his reaction. Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival were all waiting for someone to shout the order for Merlin's arrest, as well as everyone else's when they found out who they were. But they didn't know that yet. If Arthur was going to have Merlin arrested, Merlin had instructed the others to run back to the forest. If Merlin wasn't going to be accepted then the chances of the others being was extremely unlikely.

Merlin stood in front of Arthur, his eyes starring at the ground that was at Arthur's feet. He couldn't look at him. He couldn't see the anger and disappointment in Arthur's eyes, not again.

Before he could react, he suddenly found himself being suffocated in Arthur's arms. Arthur was hugging him - actually hugging him! Merlin froze in surprise, unaware of how to react. He could hear Gwaine giggling from somewhere off to his right, and Arthur let go, looking from the other three, then back to Merlin.

"Sorry…I thought you might have died…" Arthur mumbled, more than a little embarrassed.

"Please, it takes more than a dagger to get rid of me" Merlin replied, throwing him one of his classic smiles. Arthur didn't know about the double meaning to Merlin's words, but he could tell that the smile was a little forced.

'_He must still be in pain' _Arthur thought to himself. He hoped he hadn't hurt Merlin when he had hugged him.

"Merlin…who are all these people? And how the heck did you find those two?" Arthur asked, looking at Gwaine and Lancelot, then all the people behind Merlin.

"It might be better if we discuss this inside Camelot, Arthur. Morgause is getting close" Merlin commented.

"You know what's happening then?".

Merlin only nodded in reply, unwilling to reveal the reason that he knew about what was happening was because he was told by the dragon that Arthur had taken the credit for killing not two years ago. He would have probably realised by now anyway, he could feel the magic that was protecting the army that was being led by Morgause. It was powerful, more powerful than he had ever felt from her. That was when he knew that there was more than one sorcerer coming to attack Camelot. Morgause's magic alone could not be that powerful, he had never sensed such power magic from the women, but if there were more than a few sorcerers trying to combine their magic…. Even Kilgharrah had been able to sense the magic heading for Camelot.

As they entered the courtyard, every face turned in their direction. All attention was on Merlin and his followers - whom Arthur was curious about. He wanted to know who they were and, more importantly, why they were there. They reached halfway across the courtyard before Uther, as well as half the royal court, arrived at the top of the stairs that led into the castle. Merlin hesitated moving forwards when he saw the King, but remembered Arthur's reaction to finding him, and this gave him hope. Arthur was happy to see Merlin. He wouldn't put him in danger if he was truly happy to be reunited with him.

They stopped as the King walked down the stairs, a few of the council following him. He walked straight up to the leaders of the group - who happened to be Merlin and Arthur. Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival stood protectively behind Merlin as the King approached him, and Arthur stood a little closer, his hand secretly reaching for the hilt of his sword, in case his father's reaction was the opposite to what he hoped.

Uther looked from Merlin, to the men, women and children behind him, and then back to Merlin.

"Sorcerer…I am not happy with the fact that you have hidden yourself in Camelot all this time, you have commited treason, and broken the laws of Camelot" he started, causing Merlin to flinch.

"However, I would like to thank you. You saved my son's life, there is no way that I can ignore that. I am indebted to you".

Merlin raised his head from his chest at hearing these words, unsure that he was actually hearing them. Uther was thanking him. Merlin's head was swimming. Was this actually happening? Arthur and the others immediately relaxed, and Arthur removed his hand from his sword.

"Your welcome, Sire…" he managed to get out.

"I trust you are fully healed?" Uther asked, looking Merlin over.

"Yes, Sire. I had…um… a little help…" Merlin replied.

"These people that are with you?" he asked, looking back to the people he referred to. "Who are they?".

"Sire…please do not misunderstand, they are only here to help, to defend Camelot. They do not wish to see Camelot fall to likes of Morgause, they wish to help protect Camelot and it's people…".

"But who are they?" Uther repeated, everyone turning to look at Merlin for the answer.

"They are…druids, Sire" Merlin answered.

"You trust them not to turn on Camelot?" Uther asked. There was no emotion in his voice, no expression that Merlin could see in order to judge his reaction to them being there.

"With my life, Sire" he replied, noticing that Uther was thinking his words over seriously.

"Then they are welcome. Arthur said he trusts you with his life, and if you trust them with yours, then so will I" Uther finally said.

Merlin couldn't stop the grin from appearing on his face.

"Thank you, Sire. The men know various things about weaponry and fighting, and they have told me that they would be willing to use their skills in weapons and magic to defend Camelot. Also the women and children know spells to help with healing, and would like to help do so" Merlin added.

"Then we must have them join the medical ward, they would be of a great benefit to our knights" Uther replied. "Speaking of the medical ward, I suggest you make you make your way up there. Not just to have you looked at, but because I believe Gaius would be very happy to see you".

"Yes, Sire, and thank you again" he replied, still smiling.

Uther turned and walked back inside the castle, his council following him. Merlin turned to his people - the druids - and gave them a smile.

"Looks like we'll be staying here a while" he said, smiles appearing on all of their faces at his words.

* * *

Merlin and Arthur led the women and children to the Medical Ward, as Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival led the men to were the soldiers and knights were gathered - once they had received directions from Arthur, of course. Entering the Medical Ward, the first thing Merlin heard was his guardian crying his name, and saw him rushing towards him, enveloping him in a hug, much like Arthur's reaction.

"Gaius…" Merlin laughed.

"Merlin, you stupid boy, why did you have to go and get yourself hurt again?" Gaius said, stepping away and sending a slap to the back of Merlin's head.

"Ow…".

"Again?" Arthur asked at the same time, looking at Merlin with curiosity.

"Well, protecting your backside has never been a safe job, you know" Merlin replied.

"There's the Merlin I remember. Cheeky and disrespectful. And 'protecting my backside'? When have I ever needed protecting?".

"How about every week…?" Merlin mumbled.

"I doubt it's that much, Merlin".

"Very well then, every other week" he corrected.

Arthur simply shook his head in disbelief. They looked around them as they watched the women and children from the group of druids settling in, finding themselves talking to old friends that they hadn't seen in a long while because of the ban on magic. Arthur looked back to Merlin to see him looking concerned about something.

"Merlin, what is it?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"I need to talk to you, Arthur" he replied.

"I'm the one who decides when we need to talk, remember, _Mer_lin?" he reminded Merlin.

"Not today" he replied, a small smile appearing on his face, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Arthur followed Merlin out of the medical ward and into the corridor. He was about to talk to him there, but servants were passing, taking provisions to somewhere else in the castle, so Arthur dragged Merlin to his chambers, where they would have a little more privacy to talk without being overheard.

"Okay, what is it?" he finally asked, as the door closed, turning to face Merlin who was standing near the window.

"I just…there are several things that I need to tell you, and some of them aren't that easy to talk about, forget explain…" Merlin started. Arthur didn't want to interrupt him, so he stayed quiet. "First of all…I want to apologise to you, Arthur. I wanted to tell you for so long, I just could never find the right time. I hated every moment of it, I hated lying to everyone, especially to you…".

"You lied to me…" Arthur repeated, making Merlin flinch. He had not said it loud, but he had still been able to hear it.

He did not even know why he had said that. He had not seen Merlin in days, but seeing him again was bringing back all the emotion that he thought was way behind him. All that disappointment, anger…hate was suddenly rushing back at him now. Seeing Merlin again, was only bringing it all back to him.

"Arthur…".

"Why did you lie, Merlin?" he interrupted, unable to stop himself. "I can't believe you lied to me, all this time". He didn't shout, he wasn't actually angry, more upset.

"Arthur, you have no idea how sorry I am-".

"For what: lying to me; not trusting me; or betraying my trust?" he shouted, incapable of preventing the harsh words from being aimed at his now distressed man servant.

"Arthur, I never wanted to-".

"Don't. Just don't. I don't want to hear it" he interrupted, turning away from him and leaning against the table. Merlin thought he was turning away in anger. He didn't realize that Arthur meant that he should not apologize. He did understand why Merlin had lied after all.

"You have every right to be angry, Arthur, I know I would be. But you have to understand, I couldn't tell you. How could I? You're the King's son, Arthur, I couldn't do that. I was afraid to-".

"What? Risk your neck? You should have known me better than that, Merlin. You should have trusted me" he interrupted.

"No, that wasn't what I was afraid of!" Merlin replied, shouting himself.

"Then what was it? What could have bothered you? Please, you were afraid that I'd have you killed! After all these years I would have thought you to at least give me more credit than that!".

"I didn't want to make you choose between me or Uther! If you decided to protect me, you'd be lying to your king, your father! You'd be committing treason! Do you any idea how that would make me feel? It's worse than you having me killed, I would be making you choose between upholding the law, and betraying your father! You honestly think I could have done that to you?" Merlin yelled.

Arthur stood in silence, not expecting Merlin's sudden burst.

"Look, you have every right to be angry, every right to want to kill me, and every right to…hate me, but right now Morgause is trying to kill everyone and bring down Camelot's downfall, so if you excuse me…" he said, as he pushed past Arthur and left the room.

He had left Arthur in a state of complete shock. He had honestly not expected Merlin to tell him that. And now Merlin had left. He had left thinking that Arthur was angry, murderous and that Arthur hated him. Nothing could be further from the truth. He never hated Merlin. He did not even know why he had said all those things, he did not mean any of it. It was just seeing Merlin again, it brought back all the memories of before, and all the emotions with it. The feeling that he had not been trusted. That was what had bothered him the most, that Merlin had not told him. He had come to understand why, but seeing Merlin again, and bringing up the subject just reminded him of everything that he had felt. He wished they had never started talking about it, he had not meant anything that he had said. Thinking of all this, of what he needed to tell Merlin, he rushed out the door, chasing after Merlin.

It was then that he heard the chaos starting outside. The battle had begun.

* * *

**Woop-de-damn-doo! **

**Comments:**

**bookadict27 - **You'll definitely find all the answers to your wonderings soon enough! :D thanks for reviewing!

**Inkycat - **I love your awesomey reviews! they're always so awesomey! hopefully this chapter was just as awesomey as the last! I think that one of my future chapters is going to be awesomely epic! But I'll leave that for all of you guys to decide :D

**Anonomous - **Don't worry I've almost finished the last chapter - writing it at the mo'. As soon as I've done that you guys should be getting updates from me at least two or three times a week.

**sesshouluver - **hope Arthur's reaction was good enough for you! :D thanks a lot for reviewing!

**miskris95 - **thanks! and thanks for reviewing! :D

**Naisa - **I love being dramatic - and trust me it's only going to get more so! thanks for reviewing!

**cooking-ninja18 - **I hope thats true, it's because I read it in a magazine that was talking about both doctor who and merlin and it mentioned it. I really hope they don't, I can't wait for the next season to begin!

**To all my reviewers, alerters and favouriters - if that's a word XD - I virtually give you your favourite treat as a thanks for doing so :D Without you guys I'd probably give up on posting the chapters :D**

**Xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Arthur stopped walking half-way down the corridor. He could hear the battle, he was near the entrance to the courtyard. It had begun. Somehow they had arrived quicker than anticipated. No doubt Morgause's magic had played a part in their quick arrival. He couldn't think about Merlin at a time like this, he had to be outside, in the battle, fighting along side his men, his knights. So instead of finding his distressed man-servant, he rushed outside, and ran down the stairs, jumping to the left just in time to avoid a ball of fire that had been sent flying into the courtyard. It destroyed one of the walls that lined the side of the courtyard, scattering rubble in every direction, the flames still alight.

Arthur ran through the city to find his knights. They were at the gates, attempting to force the army of magically protected men back out. The clashing of metal and yells from the men that would fall to the ground dead filled the night's usual silent air. He could see Sir Leon, as well as Gwaine and Lancelot somewhere up ahead of him. He saw the men that Merlin had brought to Camelot. They were good swordsmen, and were putting up a hell of a fight against Cenred's army.

That wasn't enough. He could see that they were being forced back, back towards the castle. The enemy was getting through. They were forcing their way in, and succeeding. No matter what they did, they couldn't force them back out. Arthur noticed that Morgause's magic was working. If the enemy soldiers were hurt in the battle, they would simply back away, and suddenly start healing. Even a sword to the stomach of some of these men seemed futile.

* * *

Merlin ran though the castle, towards the battlements, somewhere where he would be able to see the fight better. He would be able to judge where his magic was needed most. Granted he might not have been able to do much, but he felt like he had to try, he had to do something. Anything.

He could see that Cenred's army were the better, from up there he could see how they were managing to push the knights back, making them fall back. He could see over the walls of Camelot, as more of the magically protected army prepared to throw more fire balls into the city, their aim being changed slightly, learning from their previous mistakes. Four of them flew though through the air, aimed straight at the heart of Camelot, straight for the castle itself.

"NO!" Merlin screamed, raising both his hands towards the danger that now threatened Camelot.

There was no need for an incantation, his magic knew what to do, turning his eyes their bright gold colour. The magic had been bubbling inside him for hours, bursting to get out. The moment that he knew he had to, his magic was ready, creating a blue transparent shield around the walls of Camelot. As the fire hit the shield, the orange mixed with the blue, looking almost like four fireworks, except this had much louder results.

Merlin could feel the pressure being forced on him as each fire ball hit his shield, almost forcing him to move backwards with the extreme force of it. He felt his eyes shut tightly as he forced himself to stay where he was, to stand his ground. This was something he had to do.

* * *

Down in the lower parts of the town, the enemy had managed to push Camelot's knights back even further, when everyone's attention - enemy and ally alike - turned towards the, what had sounded like, explosions. They all saw as the fire crashed into the blue shield that had be raised. They saw the magic that was being used - being used to defend Camelot. Arthur heard gasps of shock, and surprise all around him. He himself was left speechless. His thoughts immediately flew to one person.

Spinning on the spot, he looked up and saw him. Merlin was standing at the wall that prevented him from falling over the side of the battlements. His hands were raised, the blue shield seeming to be formed in his palms, and had spread itself out, around the walls of Camelot. He knew that Merlin would never betray Camelot. He hoped that Merlin knew that, despite what they had said to each other earlier.

Then he turned back to the enemy that stood before him, still in shock at the use of magic being used to protect Camelot. That's when it happened. All the men that Merlin had lead to Camelot dropped their swords and raised their hands. They threw everything they had at the men, forcing them to fly through the air into walls. Despite Morgause's protection against mortal weapons, she hadn't anticipated mortal magic from being used. She had not be prepared for this. The men that she was using to try and destroy Camelot may have been protected by magic, but they were not protected against it.

Suddenly, Arthur found himself and the other brave knights of Camelot back at the gates. He could see the fear in the eyes of the enemy. They realized what was happening, they realized that they were now losing. Many of them started running back, out of the gates, back towards where they had come. Then they were all outside the walls of Camelot, being forced back as far as humanly possible.

Arthur looked around him as another enemy fell to the ground, thanks to his sword and a spell from the sorcerer next to him. They were well away from Camelot now, they were definitely winning. He looked around him, checking the knights that were still fighting away in front of him. Gwaine was still alive, as was Lancelot and Percival. He had somehow managed to get past them and further away from Camelot than them. He could see Leon somewhere further in than him, still fighting his way through the sea of enemies.

There was finally some hope for them. He looked back at the gates, and felt that hope wither.

It was Morgause. She knew Arthur had seen her, and took a moment to pause and smirk in his direction, and entered the great city. Without thinking about the others that were still fighting, he took off after her.

He called to Gwaine and Lancelot, who were now laughing at the men that were running away in fear. Together, they headed for the castle, Uther needed to know what was going on. As they entered the courtyard, they saw the destruction around them. Before Merlin had brought up that shield, several fire balls had made their ways over the city walls. The courtyard looked like it was in ruins.

Debris was lying all over the place from the walls that were now destroyed, and would definitely need rebuilding. Despite the darkness that the night provided, the courtyard was well lit, with the fires still burning brightly. Some of the towers were smoking at the top - Arthur silently thanked his father for using that area as Guest Rooms, hence they were never used. He saw Gwen running around the water well that stood near the steps to the castle. She had obviously deemed it safe enough to collect water for the medical ward. He saw his father making his way into the courtyard from the other side, also wearing his armour and carrying his sword. Obviously, there had been some enemies making their way through the other side of the city. No doubt the men that he had been fighting beside had now joined the others, and had almost defeated the enemy completely.

"Arthur? Are you okay?" Uther asked, looking his son over, as Gwaine and Lancelot made their way into the castle to the medical ward.

"Yes, we managed to force them out of the city, thanks to the druids. Without their help, I don't think we would have managed it" he replied.

A small smile feel on Uther's lips. He saw him look at something behind him, and turned to see what it was. It was Merlin. He looked half-dead, black lines deep under his eyes, his eyelids dropping every now and then, and there was blood dripping down from his nose.

* * *

Now that Merlin was in the courtyard, he suddenly seemed to come to attention, seeing all the destruction around him. He recognized this scene, there was something too familiar about it all. He saw the fire, the fire that burned so hot he could feel it even from a distance, the debris scattered in every direction, Arthur and Uther standing together in their armour, holding their swords, looking in his direction. He remembered his dream, the reality of it reminding him of every detail. They did look afraid. He still didn't know what to make of it.

He didn't have the energy to question their stares, he felt like another step would kill him. He had taken out to much of his energy creating that shield, he knew that he had. But it had had to be done. He looked back up at the father and son, and saw that the fear had been replaced with shock and genuine concern.

"MERLIN!" he heard Arthur shout, seeing him move forward towards him.

When Merlin felt the sharp knife slightly pierce his throat, he saw Arthur stop and hesitate. He didn't have the energy to fight of the arms that held him in place, and using any more magic at this time would definitely kill him, so what difference would it make?

He stood waiting for something to happen, staring at ahead of him, - at Arthur - waiting for the knife to be his end.

* * *

**Dun dun dun! Damn me and my cliff-hangers!**

**Comments:**

**Inkycat - **I know! I wanted to make him nice for a change - plus otherwise it could have gotten WAY overcomplicated :D

**Naisa - **Woo for reviews! I know, when I read it over I was hoping people would want to hug Arthur at that moment, cause I sure did :D I'm glad you found that slap funny - definitely what I was going for :D Thanks!

**Darkenwood - **I was going to lengthen out Uther's reaction, but the way i wrote it was way to complicated and confusing so i just went with it :D thanks for reviewing! :D

***no name - **Lol, no name! I love angry Merlin too - i think it's cause we dont really see enough of it! :D

**sesshouluver - **glad you liked his reaction, i didn't know if people would like it :D Thanks a bunch!

**Fire'sTiger - **Thanks a lot! I'm glad that you like this :D I like knowing that my stories and ideas aren't as boring as I expect them to turn out :D

**miskris95 - **don't worry, there's going to be longer chapters soon - one's over 3,000 words! lol :D thanks for reviewing!

**As normal I give amazing virtual gifts to all reviewers, favourite-ers - SO not a word! - and alerters. Can't be bothered checking spelling for Author's note - 2am and can't really be bothered! **

**Xx**


	15. Chapter 15

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_Merlin felt the sharp knife slightly pierce his throat, he saw Arthur stop and hesitate. He didn't have the energy to fight of the arms that held him in place, and using any more magic at this time would definitely kill him, so what difference would it make?_

_He stood waiting for something to happen, staring ahead of him, - at Arthur - waiting for the knife to be his end…_

* * *

Merlin did not dare move, as he felt the knife press harder when Arthur had started moving forwards. He knew he couldn't fight his attacker, he didn't have the energy. The person holding him was probably the only reason he remained standing, otherwise he felt as those he might collapse.

"Don't come any closer, Arthur. We wouldn't want your precious servant's blood to be spilt just yet, now would we?" came Morgause's cruel voice. He could hear the triumph in her voice as Arthur stopped and backed away slightly.

"Drop the weapons, both of you!" she ordered. Arthur immediately dropped his, his father soon copying. Merlin was still a little surprised at the Kings actions. "You were very stupid in forcing the enemy out of the city walls, Arthur. Now all your men are stuck outside, with no way to get in".

"I think they know how to use a gate, Morgause" scoffed Arthur.

"Yes, but I doubt they'll be able to get close enough to it, considering I've raised a magical barrier. Your men might be able to defeat Cenred's men, but they will never get through that barrier, not even with those traitorous druids helping them, believe me" she replied, smirking just as her sister used to always do.

"I suggest you give up, Arthur. I will kill him if you don't" she added, causing Arthur to think about what she had said.

"No, I don't think you will. Something tells me you want him alive, and I don't think that you're going to kill him because of that" Arthur commented.

"Do not test me!" she yelled. Then she smiled again. "Alright, if you think I won't kill him, how are you going to cope when I kill your lovely maid?".

She turned her head slightly, looking at where Gwen stood stiff at the water well, watching in horror as Merlin was held. Her eyes glowed gold and her free hand waved in Gwen's direction. Before anyone could cry out to warn her, Gwen was sent flying backwards into the rubble that was once a wall.

"Gwen!" both Arthur and Merlin cried out in unison. Merlin tried to go towards her, but Morgause pulled him back, which caused Arthur to hesitate going over to Gwen - he couldn't lose them both, he would not watch both of his closest friends die.

"NO!" screamed a women's voice.

They all turned to the stairs that lead to the castle, and saw Morgana running down them, tears falling from her eyes. She ran towards Gwen's still body and knelt down next to her, checking for a pulse.

"Gwen, please wake up, please!" Morgana begged.

Morgause watched in shock. Merlin couldn't believe how badly she was taking this, he thought that she had turned against everyone in Camelot, but here she was, lying beside Gwen, crying her heart out as beside the women she had once thought of as a sister.

Despite everything that Morgana had done - having Gwen kidnapped, using her brother against her in order to trick Arthur - she still thought of Gwen as one of her closest friends. She grew up with Gwen like they were sisters. It was only when she became blinded by her wish for revenge and justice upon Uther that she lost sight of what it was doing to her relationship with the maid. And now, now that she had seen her sister try to kill her, she saw what she had done, how she had been pushing her away.

She couldn't let Gwen die, especially not before she had the chance to apologize.

"What have you done?" she screamed at Morgause.

"What needed to be done, sister" she replied.

"Sister?" Arthur's voice gasped.

"Yes, of course. Morgana is my half-sister, Arthur. I can't believe it has taken you so long to realize, especially as your father has known all along" she commented.

"Father?" he asked, turning towards Uther.

"Indeed, I just hoped that Morgana would never find out" he replied.

"Well, I think you should take my threat seriously young prince. Of course if you don't my sorcerer's will handle you for me" she continued, looking at the men that were walking into the courtyard. They were not and of the druids that came with Merlin, they were those that fought along side Cenred's men. There were eight sorcerer's, all dressed in black clothing.

"Invisibility is such a helpful little trick. Hiding in the town while you forced all of the non-magical threats as well as your own out of the city. I think you should give up know, both of you. Unless you want to be killed straight away?" she added, as her sorcerer's walked forwards raising their hands, small fire balls being conjured in their palms.

They had no choice, they had to surrender.

"You know what to do" Morgause said, talking to the sorcerer's, who where now holding their prisoners hands behind their backs, and dragging them up the stairs. Morgause still held the knife at Merlin's throat, watching her sister's tears fall.

"Morgana, you must now join me, you will soon enough be given the throne, this is great news. There is no need to cry over a simple maidservant" she said, trying to be gentle to her sister, but not really succeeding.

"You tried to kill her…She's unconscious, Morgause, and she's bleeding too much! If you don't get her help she'll die!" Morgana cried, still kneeling by Gwen's side.

"And why would I do that?".

"Because I am telling you to" Morgana said, standing up. "You will heal her, Morgause. She was not supposed to be hurt in all of this! I can't believe you even did this! You appeared in the great hall and tried to kill Arthur! Are you insane? Uther could have killed you! And then you lead this army to destroy Camelot! We never wanted to destroy Camelot, or kill it's people! The goal was to remove Uther from the throne, he was the only one who was supposed to suffer!".

"Morgana, you will not speak to me like this! If you honestly think that way, then you may as well join the others, as it sounds like you're starting to turn your back on me. Your own sister!" Morgause retorted.

"I am simply disagreeing with your methods, Morgause" Morgana started, but looking like she disagreed with everything else as well, as she looked around her in horror at the chaos that littered the now unrecognizable courtyard.

"Perhaps you need some time to think about what side you're on, Morgana. I hate to do this, especially to you, but I will not have you talking like this".

Morgana found that there were two sorcerer's now standing next to her, waiting to take her to the same place as Arthur and Uther. She shrugged off their hands, and walked freely in the direction that they were leading her.

"It is a mystery as to why she is acting this way. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you put some kind of enchantment on her" Morgause whispered in Merlin's ear.

The last two sorcerer's were now beside Morgause and her prisoner. They took him from her and took him away, they were taking him somewhere different to everyone else. Merlin didn't have enough energy to fight them. He could only hope that Arthur would get out of this alive. He already knew that there was a slim chance of his making it out of there alive, but there was still some hope for Arthur**.**

* * *

**The next chapter is literally one of the longest I have ever written. I know a lot of you probably hate me for what's happening to Gwen at the moment, but I needed to do it - there is a really good reason! Please don't hate me! :( XD**

**Comments:**

**miskris95 - **you must have been very excited - got your review twice! :D thanks for reviewing!

**sesshouluver - **i know, it almost killed me to do that to our dear Merlin...but alas it had to happen :) thanks a bunch! :D

**joosj - **i know! I hated adding that, but i really had to! thanks! :D

**RP6 - **sorry! i knew that doing that would have a bad reaction with you guys but i swear it was neccessary! thanks a lot! :D I decided before writing this whole thing whether or not i was going to kill Merlin, but I'm afriad my lips are sealed!

**MamzelleHermy - **sorry! - doing a lot of appologizing here XD I would have made last chapter longer, but i would have probably screwed it up if i tried to make it longer - im rubbish at battle scenes :D glad you liked it! :D

**Naisa - **Believe me, that was nothing compared to what's coming up - lips are sealed until next update! You got it right! It was Morgause! :D lol I love adding them, but i try so hard not to cause i know how much it can annoy readers :D thanks for reviewing! :D

**Fire'sTiger - **:D thanks! next chapter is definitely a lot longer, so more to look forward to! :D

**Thanks to all reviewers and subscribers and all those who favourited! Brilliant feeling knowing that people actually like what I write :D**

**Xx**


	16. Chapter 16

_**This is a disclaimer.**_

**Any mistakes are completely my own :D **

**Already found some mistakes so if you get an alert it's because I've changed a few minor things :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Merlin was dragged into a large room almost the same size as the throne room, and was forced to the far side of the room, as far away from the doors as possible. He saw that there were shackles attached to the floor, to which Merlin's hands were tied, bound behind his back. He noticed another shackle a few metres in front of him.

The two sorcerers that dragged him in moved back to the other end of the room, as Morgause walked into the room herself. She was closely followed by six more sorcerers who were dragging their own prisoners: Arthur; Uther; Morgana: Gwaine and Lancelot. Gwaine and Lancelot had managed to reach the medical ward, but found it locked shut by two sorcerers standing outside the door. As they had turned to call for Arthur, two more sorcerer's had attacked them from behind, capturing them both.

They were all forced to their knees, including Morgana, near the entrance to the room, as Morgause continued to walk towards Merlin. She came to a stop just in front of him. She was quiet for a few moments, and Merlin raised his head to look at her.

"You know, Merlin, it doesn't have to be this way" She started, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Yes…it does" Merlin whispered, loud enough for her to hear him.

"You could join me. I know how powerful you could become, with my help. I could create great things for your future. To rule over Camelot, striking fear into our enemies hearts. We could be unstoppable".

"I'm not interested" he replied, slightly louder than before.

"Do you not see how much it would benefit all those with magic? With the Pendragon line ended, we could rule, end the law against magic, bring it back to the kingdom, with no trouble what so ever. No one would dare challenge us" she continued.

"I would never ally myself with such a cruel and heartless magic. You only wish to have power, but you would kill people to achieve it. That is something that I would never take part in" he argued, somehow managing to say it all without having to catch his breath.

This only seemed to anger her further. She took a few steps back away from him, as if illustrating her decision to finally give up on trying to persuade him to change his loyalties.

"Very well…Merlin. If you will not join me when I ask you kindly, when I try to make you see the logic in my plan, then I will have to persuade you be other means. If it does not work, I will not be out by much. It won't cause much harm to me or my plans. You on the other hand…".

With that she turned and walked back to the prisoners that had been brought in with her. She stood before them, looking them over one by one, her eyes finally lying on her sister, Morgana.

"Morgana, this too is your last chance to remain by my side. I still cannot believe that you would choose the side of a traitor. That is what you are being, Morgana, a traitor. As well as Merlin. You are both betraying your people. You should be helping me, not trying to stop me".

"Have you healed Gwen yet?" Morgana asked, looking up at her sister. When she saw Morgause's reply in her expression her eyes filled with hate for the person that stood in front of her.

"I once believed that you felt the same way I did about Uther and his Camelot, after all we are the same, you and I" she said. Morgana stayed still where she was sat, not bothering to look up at her half-sister anymore. "It seems I was wrong".

She looked once more at each of her prisoners, this time her eyes finishing on Arthur.

"Bring him. It will fits nicely to have him as Merlin's first test" she ordered with a smirk, talking to the sorcerer that stood behind him.

As she walked back to Merlin, the sorcerer picked Arthur off the floor and brought him over to her. He was then tied in the same position as Merlin to the other shackle. Merlin was now trying to pay full attention, wondering what was going on. The sorcerers walked back to the other end of the room and left, leaving only three of them remaining, while Morgause kept her eyes on Merlin the entire time, a fiendish smile appearing on her lips. Merlin looked from Arthur - who was struggling with his restraints - to Morgause.

"So, Merlin, once last time before this gets a little more serious - give your allegiance to me, no harm will come to you. Otherwise…" she offered.

He looked from Morgause and back to Arthur, who was now sitting still, looking at Merlin. Merlin saw the look on Arthur face. It was as if he fully expected Merlin to accept the offer, and side with Morgause.

"Never" he said, looking straight at Arthur, who gave a small smile at Merlin's reply.

Arthur knew that Merlin would never be his enemy. Merlin was trying to reassure him of this, unaware that there was no need. Morgause smirked at his answer, fully expecting this to be the boy's reply.

"Very well, Merlin. Don't say I didn't warn you" she replied. "This isn't the first time I've been witness to someone falling under the curse I placed on you, Merlin. I know what happens to its bearer".

Arthur's face turned to Morgause in confusion. He was still unaware about the curse that Merlin had fallen under. Morgause had noticed this, her smirk growing wider.

"Oh, did Merlin not tell you? I'm not surprised. Do you remember that lovely little dagger I threw in Merlin's direction?" she asked. Upon seeing Arthur's face turn to anger, answering in the affirmative, she continued. "I placed a little spell, a curse, on the blade. And Merlin had fallen under its enchantment. It is impossible to heal it, even with magic. It will slowly and painfully eat away at his magic, until there is nothing left, and then it will kill him. You see, right now, his magic is the only thing keeping him alive, and the more he uses it, the faster the curse works its wonders! Which is probably why he has been so careful not to use his magic so far. But then you came here and created that shield around the city…that must have taken a lot out of you, Merlin, cutting down your remaining hours of life…".

Arthur had been watching Merlin throughout her explanation, watching as he slowly shrunk smaller and tried to move away from Morgause as she walked closer to him.

"You forget one thing, Morgause. I am strong enough to fight the curse-".

"But how will you be able to if you use your magic?" she interrupted.

'_Well, it's a good thing that I don't intend to then' _he thought. He would have said this aloud, but from the look on Morgause's face, she had a reply all ready, an answer to that very problem. The wickedness in her eyes made Merlin feel like he was starting to panic, but he knew that he couldn't show it, he couldn't show her any weakness.

"As I said, I have been witness to people under this curse, and what happens to them throughout it" she continued. "Did you know that if the carrier of the curse is in a great deal of pain, then his or her magic will automatically be used, in complete instinct, even if they had never had the ability to do so?".

Merlin sat up straighter at that. He knew exactly what she was planning now. He looked across at Arthur and knew from the fear in his eyes that he knew too.

"When that sort of thing happens, it's usually best to stay out of their way. You never know what damage they could do" she added. "You are powerful enough to have lasted this long with the curse, most people die within the first day, yet you have survived a few. I congratulate you. But I want to know how powerful you really are…".

Inside Merlin's head something clicked. That was why Arthur had been moved closer to him. She knew that if he was subjected to pain, and his magic reacted instinctively, he could hurt Arthur. She wanted to know if he would be able to gain control, in order to protect him. His heartbeat quickened. He couldn't allow his magic to harm Arthur, he wouldn't.

Morgause gave them one last smirk, before heading back to the other side of the throne room, almost twenty feet away. Merlin started to struggle against his shackles, trying desperately to get free, he couldn't allow this to happen.

"Weorc untoworpenlic" he heard Morgause say, quietly at first.

Merlin's head jerked back as he felt the pain hit him. He didn't cry out, he'd kept his mouth tightly shut, only giving a slight moan in reply to the torture that Morgause was sending his way.

"Arhosa 'r Boeni" she finally said, ending the enchantment. "You're stronger than I thought, not a lot of people can go through that and react the way you did. I'm afraid that that means I'll have to try harder. Weorc untoworpenlic!"

Merlin reacted more to the pain this time, jerking his head back again, unable to stop a gasp from leaving his mouth. The pain was complete agony. He scrunched up his eyes because of the pain, preventing him from seeing Arthur's distressed look on his face. Just before she called the magic to stop, Arthur could have sworn that he saw a white flash of light emit from Merlin's hands - which he could only see because of how Merlin had moved around in pain.

As the pain suddenly stopped, Merlin felt himself falling forwards, leaning over his knees which where underneath him. He breathed heavily as he looked up at Morgause.

"I don't know…what it is you're trying to do…but it won't work" he managed to say.

"I would have to disagree, it almost worked that time. In fact I think even Prince Arthur saw that" she replied.

Merlin looked to Arthur, who could only stare back in worry. Worry for Merlin he had to admit, but also worry about whatever it was that Morgause was trying to make him do.

"We'll try this again, shall we?" she continued. "Cwealmnes!".

This time Merlin screamed, and almost fell over. He somehow managed to keep himself sitting on his knees, but felt like his inside were being torn apart. That was when Arthur saw it again. This time it was clearer. A white flash hit the ground as it shot out of Merlin's palm. It continued. There were flashes of what looked like lightning being shot of in any direction, no longer just from his hands - it seemed to just appear. The pain Merlin was going through was causing him to lose control, his magic was trying to fight back against the pain.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled

A bolt hit the ground not 3 feet from Arthur's feet, and he jumped back away from it, the lightning vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"No!" Merlin shouted, knowing what was happening around him. "Morgause stop this!".

She did not listen to his pleas, if anything they only widened her smile. The pain continued, as did the lightning. The bolts were growing in size as the pain continued, one nearly hitting the ceiling. Arthur tried his best to keep his eyes on them, to determine where they would hit next. Another bolt hit the ground, causing it to turn instantly black, just where Arthur's foot had been a few seconds before.

"Arthur, you have to get back!" Merlin yelled over the noise of it all.

He tried, but the shackles held him firmly in place. He could go no further back, and the bolts were getting higher in their numbers, each of them growing as the pain in Merlin's head and chest continued to grow.

It was excruciating. As if the lightning was striking him, not everywhere else.

Then he heard Arthur yell. A bolt had hit him on the leg. As Merlin managed to look over, he saw that it wasn't deep, it was not life threatening, it only looked like a scratch. Arthur had only yelled out in shock. _'If this lasts any longer it'll get worse_' he thought, knowing it to be true, knowing that if one of those bolts hit him full on, it would be Arthur's end. He lifted his head slightly, trying to ignore the lightning that persisted, now hitting the ceiling, the walls behind him, circling him in a ring of black soot and burn marks. Part of the ceiling had already fallen somewhere behind Merlin, but it didn't hit him. Another bolt was about to hit Arthur, this time it would hit him in the chest.

"NO!" he screamed.

To his complete astonishment, the bolt moved. It actually moved out of its path, hitting the floor next to Arthur, inside of actually hitting him. He had gained a little control! He looked to his left, watching the bolt of lightning that was determined to blow a hole through the wall beside him. He focused on moving it, nothing else.

He didn't think he was going to do it, the torture that he was being put though nearly caused him to give up, but he couldn't not now. Then it moved! Instead of hitting the wall, it now began attacking the floor, blackening it even more. He turned to face the entrance of the room.

Merlin looked straight to Morgause.

She knew something was going on. In all the chaos, she couldn't see well enough to know what, but she knew something was happening. The sorcerer was looking up at her now. The pain and agony that he was feeling was clear as day to her, but there was something else.

Merlin looked to Arthur, who now sat with his legs up against his chest, as the bolts carefully landed around him, instead of on him. Arthur had noticed this - they kept hitting specific points on the floor, the same points over and over. He looked to Merlin, and for a second thought he saw something other than the obvious torment that he was being put through. There was a determination in his eyes, such determination that he was a little intimidated of him. He had never seen him look like that before.

Merlin looked away from Arthur, now sure that he would not be injured, as long as everything went to plan from here on out. He focused everything on Morgause and looked back up to her.

"ÁSTRICE!" he screamed, the tears now coming down his face.

Every lightning bolt suddenly changed its course of direction. Every single one of them was headed straight at Morgause. It would kill her. She only realized just in time.

"Gescildan!" she cried.

Her shield came up, only just in time to prevent the lightning from killing her, but the sheer force of it sent her flying backwards, as well as the three sorcerers that had remained in the room, out of the doors and into the corridor, where she landed against a pillar, knocking her temporarily unconscious.

"Behæpse fæst!" he continued, and the doors to the throne room swung shut.

He turned around as much as he could, without doing himself any further damage and found himself looking at his shackles. His eyes shone gold as they broke apart, falling to the floor. He looked back around and closed his eyes for a second as he took a breath. As he opened his eyes, they turned gold once more, and everyone else's restraints fell away too.

Within seconds, everyone was standing. Arthur immediately went over to Merlin and helped him to stand - which he seemed to be having trouble with.

"You alright, Merlin?" he asked, as he noticed how unusually wobbly on his feet the young man was - even for Merlin.

"Fine" he replied, but his lie was quickly seen through, as Arthur had to stop him from passing out.

He caught him before he could properly fall, and continued to hold him up, placing one of Merlin's arms around his shoulder. The others had quickly made their way over to the pair, and were now standing with them as Arthur turned both himself and Merlin around to face them.

"What was that?" Uther asked, looking Merlin over.

"I lost control…it's never been that bad before…" Merlin gasped.

Arthur could see that he was shaking, more than he had been when he was shouting at him. He could tell that it was not just out of fear, but out of pain. The spells Morgause had used were obviously still affecting him. He was about to mention it, when Merlin pulled himself free of Arthur, and started walking towards the entrance to the throne room. He somehow managed to get all the way there, where he turned around to the others who had now started to come with him.

"I know that you're probably not going to listen to me, but please keep out of this. I'll take care of Morgause, just keep the people of Camelot safe" Merlin told them, then opened the door when his eyes flashed gold and left the room, somehow without needing the help. He was summoning what ever strength he had left to finish this. He needed to finish this.

"Like heck, there's no way I'm staying here" Gwaine started, walking in the direction Merlin left.

"Same here" Lancelot replied, walking towards the doors with him.

It didn't take Arthur more than a second to know what he was going to do.

"Wait, I'm coming too" he shouted, running after them.

"Arthur!" Uther yelled at his son.

"Sorry, father, but I'm not abandoning Merlin. Don't try and stop me, you'll only waste your time" he yelled back, a smile on his face. He knew that he would help Merlin get out of this, and then he would make sure that his father left him alone to live free in Camelot.

"I wasn't going to stop you Arthur" he commented, then he saw the confusion on his sons face. "Be careful".

Arthur nodded his reply. He got out the doors, with Lancelot and Gwaine by his side. He saw the courtyard through the window that was just outside the room. Both Merlin and Morgause were there. He felt his heart skip a beat at seeing the scene before him, and all three knights rushed to the doors that lead to the courtyard.

They reached the top of the stairs, just in time to see Merlin being thrown through the air, landing among broken wood and rubble.

* * *

**Spells:**

**Cwealmnes - **torment/pain  
**Weorc untoworpenlic - **pain/suffering~}  
**Arhosa 'r Boeni - **Stop the pain  
**Á****strice - **I strike  
**Gescildan - **Shield  
**Behæpse fæst - **secure doors

**Both the pain causing spells came from old English translator, the first one used in this chapter is actually from Series 3, episode 1. The pain stopping spell I had to use a welsh translator. The 'I strike' and 'shield' I borrowed from the show also - both feature in the finale episode of season 1. To lock the throne room doors I used the old English translator, and the phrase also features in season 2, episode 10.**

**Comments:**

**miskris95 - **hehe, thanks! glad you liked it! I would love to see Morgana disagree with Morgause about something, so I think that was what gave me the inspiration to put it in :D  
**  
emptyhandedone -**i know, everyone's life is being threatened in this story! :D thanks!

**Fire'sTiger - **I'm glad you think so! thanks for reviewing! :D

**TheJuneBug1218 - **I'm so happy you love it! :D I don't think I would have had the heart to make Morgana evil in this, not after Merlin's been through :D

**CeeRat - **XD To be honest when I started writing this I completely forgot about the whole reclaiming thing - even though it was written down in my little plan for this story. I ended up remembering and thinking "Oh thank god, I can still make this work!" hehe :D

**Starzinmieyez - **thanks for trying! ;) no one's said that they hate me! - thank goodness! :D

**Darkenwood - **hope this chapter was good enough to wait for! thanks for reviewing! :D

**RP6 - **lol I never realised how nonchalant he was before! XD lol thanks for the review! :D

**Naisa - **yippee! Good Morgana! same here, but hurting gwen just had to be done - it really helps to push Morgana towards her decision, as she was really conflicted between her sister and everyone else :D

**Randomanime456 - **hope this was a good enough follow-up! and worth the wait! :D

**sesshouluver - **you never know with this story - already contemplating the idea of a sequel! :D thanks for reviewing!

**bookadict27 - **that's the only thing i don't like about the show (that morgana and gwen used to be like sisters, and now look at them in season 3!) Merlin and Arthur are definitely trouble magnets! XD thanks for the review! :D

**I got a huge reponse to the last chapter, so I'm giving virtual hugs to all the reviewers and favouriters and alerters! - seriously there were a lot of them! thanks everybody! It's going to be a little more than a couple of days before I get the next chapter out - going for a weeks holiday! If I manage to upload it, then I'll try to post it via my phone - but no promises (don't like making promises that I might not be able to keep).  
Just like Mary Poppins once said - "_Promises are like pie crusts - easily made, easily broken_". **

**Xx**


	17. Chapter 17

**Little note: somewhere in here I put Merlin twisting his hand to create lightning - think 'Elle' from Heroes. :D**

**This is a disclaimer. Any mistakes are my own. I reloaded the last chapter at least twice because of mistakes people notices, so I really don't mind if you notice any and want me to change them :D **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Merlin stood up from the rubble and walked back to where he was previously standing. He could see that his friends had just arrived at the stairs, and he needed to keep Morgause's attention away from them. Morgause was too busy looking at him in complete shock to notice anything going on around her. She couldn't explain how the boy had managed to gain control, that was beyond anyone's ability, even her own - she knew that she would not be powerful enough to do what he just did. She was starting to think that there may be more to the boy than she had previously believed, but remained doubtful about his powers - he was just a boy after all.

"I don't know how you did that, boy, but it doesn't matter. I'll kill you soon enough anyway" Morgause said. She was still surprised by how Merlin had managed to somehow regain control of his magic, she could barely speak without that emotion being shown. It was certainly something she had never heard of happening before. Even the most advanced users of magic couldn't do that sort of thing. Why was this servant so different?

"Maybe, after all it is you I should thank for the curse, but if I die here today then I certainly won't be the only one" Merlin replied. Knowing that he would most likely die after this confrontation, he didn't care about the curse anymore, or the danger of using his powers. He needed to stop Morgause, whatever the cost. He didn't care if his words had consequences, he would fight back now. Before he would not have been able to - he was limited by the curse. But now that he wanted to use his magic to its full capabilities, he did not care.

"Please! You cannot kill me, Merlin. You are nothing but a serving boy with a few tricks up his sleeves".

"Oh, I'm more than that" he replied, hiding a smile.

"I doubt it" Morgause finished. "Forbearnan!"

Merlin suddenly saw flames being thrown in his direction, and raised his arm as if there were a shield attached to it. As the flames hit him, a blue shield appeared in front of him, forcing the flames to go around him, in stead of hitting him. Morgause kept the flames going, determined to break through his shield.

As she grew more impatient, the flames grew, forcing more pressure onto Merlin's shield. He felt his magic reacting, and through a vision of gold, he pushed himself forwards against the flames, forcing them to retreat as the blue shield suddenly forced its way towards Morgause.

It came at her so fast, that she had barely had time to react to it, falling to the ground as the flames flew over her head. The flames dies away, along with Merlin's shield. Once it had gone, he felt himself collapse to his knees, head bent over near the ground. As he tried to focus, to control his magic and turn his eyes back to their normal blue, he saw blood drop to the ground. Bringing his hand to his head, he found that his nose was bleeding.

Wiping away the blood, he stood up, seeing Morgause do the same.

"Very clever, Merlin. But all this power is definitely taking its toll on you, you will not last long" Morgause mocked.

"Let's just see about that" Merlin said quickly in response.

He quickly raised his hand into the air, and twisted it in mid-air, before lightning and electricity shot from his palm directly at Morgause. She had only just enough time to say her own shield spell, but the force of Merlin's magic still sent her stumbling backwards. She couldn't hold it any longer, and a small spark managed its way through her shield, leaving a long cut on the right side of her face. Her right arm was pushed back, destroying her shield, but Merlin had stopped the magic.

"I will give you this one chance, Morgause. Leave, and don't bother ever coming back. One thing you should realize by now is that Camelot is and always will be protected".

"By who? You? When this night ends you will perish along with Uther and his great city" Morgause spat back.

"No, I don't think it will. You're no match for me, Morgause, even if I am weakened by your curse" Merlin replied, causing Morgause to throw her head back in laughter.

If the situation was not so serious, even Arthur would have been laughing. As it was, he, Lancelot and Gwaine were now standing at the bottom of the stairs, but were too shocked to do anything. Arthur knew that if he tried to help Merlin, he might only make things worse. He felt so useless standing there, but Merlin was the only one with any chance of defeating Morgause, despite everything he used to believe about him, Merlin was more powerful than he had ever believed possible.

"You think that you are more powerful than me?" she laughed. "I hardly think so! You are nothing but a serving boy! You cannot defeat me!".

"You don't know anything about me, Morgause. If you did, you would have never attacked Camelot"

"Really? Pray tell, Merlin. What is so great about you that would make you think that you - a serving boy with a few tricks - could defeat me? Someone who has studied magic all her life?".

"You really don't know who I am, do you?" Merlin replied, a smile appearing on his lips.

Morgause narrowed her eyes. She could see that the boy was growing in confidence, and she knew that the boy was an idiot, he had always been the clumsy fool, but this was genuine. She could tell now that there was something, he was so serious when he talked, there had to be something, but surely it wouldn't actually make him believe that he could defeat her?

"My name among the druids…is very well known. I'm sure you'll have heard of me, perhaps?" Merlin continued. "Did I forget to tell you that they call me Emrys?".

Arthur saw Morgause's irritation and confidence crumble at that name, but he didn't know why. He could see, very clearly, the terror in her eyes, and was close to giving herself completely away, when she collected herself to reply.

"You cannot be him! Emrys is the greatest warlock ever to exist! You are nothing but a sorcerer with determination, and a very wild imagination".

"I was born with magic, unlike you who had to practise it every day to become more powerful. You want to double check, go and ask Mordred, he knows who I am" Merlin suggested.

"No, you cannot be…".

"Well I am, so unless you really want to see how powerful I can be, I suggest you leave immediately, and take your pathetic sorcerer's with you".

"NO!".

Morgause suddenly created a column of fire, and threw it in Merlin's direction. He was not able to react fast enough, and found himself flying backwards, landing on his back. Sitting up, he saw the column of fire getting closer.

"Miere torr sweoloþhat!" cried a women's voice.

The column of fire exploded where it stood, pushing Morgause down to the ground also. Looking towards the stairs, he saw Morgana standing at the bottom beside Arthur and Uther, her hand raised. He smiled at her as a way of thanks, and stood up once more. Morgause quickly followed him.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way, but you're giving me no other choice" Merlin said.

He once again swiftly raised his right hand, shooting the white lightning and electricity from his palm towards Morgause. The shield raised just in time, but Merlin did not give in. He forced his magic to push greater against the shield, breaking the shield down so that it was only just protecting her from the white light.

Morgause used her free hand to shot green coloured flames in Merlin's direction, who deflected them with a simple wave of his left hand. His eyes had turned an intense colour of gold now, removing any trace of the blue that was once underneath. Morgause shot another wave of magic in Merlin's direction, this time he was unable to prevent it from hitting him, directly on his chest. The white light dimmed for a moment, his chest burned as he cried out in agony, but he did not relent. He clenched his jaw, and concentrated harder on breaking her shield, the light growing in size and strength.

Morgause couldn't hold back the light much longer, as it was she was already being forced backwards, now having to use both hands to prevent her shield from crumbling.

Merlin's eyes were now completely gold, not just the iris', the only thing visible was gold.

A crack appeared in the shield, and that was when Merlin decided to give his magic one last shove. It broke through, hitting Morgause in the chest, her arms flying to her sides, her head jerking backwards.

Merlin knew that he could stop now, but he couldn't. The light was turning colour, growing still, changing into a deep shade of gold, matching his eyes. The light of the electricity continued to grow, completely covering Morgause, enveloping her into the fiery blaze. Merlin's skin starting glowing the same brilliant shade, lighting up the night more than any of the fires had.

Arthur felt himself raising a hand to shield his eyes, and found that some of the others were doing the same.

The burning light had completely absorbed Merlin, as his hand remained outstretched in the direction of Morgause. She was being devoured by the burning light, tearing her apart from the inside, lifting her into the air by the sheer intensity of the magic. Her screaming was being drowned out by the disruption the wind and fire around them that the magic was causing, an explosion somewhere off to the left hurling debris in their direction.

The magic was now affecting Merlin greater than ever, his face becoming consumed with pain. The volume of magic was becoming too great to bear, he couldn't stop. He'd lost control long before this moment. He knew that he had lost all hope of going back the moment he started this piece of magic. He had never been able to do this sort of thing before, but as his magic went more and more out of control, he found it growing along with the light. He knew that he would not be able to control it, to stop it, so he had decided to allow it to grow and intensify, knowing what that would mean for him.

This was going to be the end of it.

No more torture. No more pain. No more…

The light suddenly disappeared, Morgause had been destroyed, her body had vanished. Merlin stood still for a few seconds, his arm still outstretched. The light in his eyes dimmed down, and as soon as the light from his skin had gone, once the courtyard fell into an almost darkness, Merlin's knees gave way.

He felt himself tumbling to the ground, collapsing on his side.

Arthur watched in horror, as Merlin collapsed, his eyes closed as he hit the ground, lying still.

It took a moment for everyone to realize what had just happened. Arthur ran to Merlin, yelling his name as he fell to his knees beside his friends body.

* * *

**Comments:**

**Fire'sTiger - **you've no idea how happy your comment made me feel! thanks a lot! :D

**Randomamine456 - **I do love cliff hangers! And here's another! I hate it when other people do that though, cause i really want to know what happens XD I have really got to stop putting them in! I don't think the next one is though - thanks heavens! Lol, i love that movie - i just thought that they were very wise words XD what you said actually made more sense than what i thought she had said - haven't seen it in a while (I'll probably go and watch it now!) Thanks for the review!

**Starzinmieyez - **Lol - typo! Forgot to change that! I went and re-edited it, thanks for pointing that out! :D glad you enjoyed it!

**Lozzy-heartz-Bookz - **Nah, Morgause was threatening Arthur by holding the knife across Merlin's throat, only cutting him slightly to make the threat stronger :) glad you enjoyed it! :D

**TheJuneBug1218 - **Hope this was worth the wait! Same here, while I love evil Morgana - smirks are brilliant - i still have a soft spot for a nice Morgana :D

**RP6 - **Hell, yeah! Merlin is awesome! Really happy that you liked the last chapter! :D

**emptyhandedone - ***hugs* for reviewing! Will do, I have a habit of getting more inspiration on holiday than when I'm at home, probably because I'm not busy doing anything else, so I'm definitely looking forward to it. Thanks for reviewing! :D

**miskris95 - **thanks a bunch! hope this was worth waiting for! :D

**Just Celia - **You're awesome! - reviewing more than one chapter! (4 times!) Arthur's reaction to the actual reveal is actually written in _**'Thoughts of a Prince'. **_Glad you liked the reveal :D I know, Uther is evil as heck! But he's getting there now :D Same here - I love that dragon! :D Thanks for reviewing!

**FLONNIE B. -** Glad you love it! Thanks a lot for reviewing! :D

* * *

**Spells:**

**Forbearnan - **Let the fire consume (used throughout all three seasons by various people).

**Miere torr sweoloþhat **- disturb that burning column (this was used by Merlin in Season 3, episdoe where gwens brother is taken by Cenred).

**Me and my blasted cliff hangers! I wasn't going to post this until I got back from holiday, but I wanted to be kind and give you guys something - although now you're probably wishing I didn't because of how it ended - life just isn't fair! Hope everyone is well and looking forward to the summer - hopefully we'll get good weather! It's chucking it down at the moment - I may love the rain, but I won't go outside in the blasted pouring rain! - it's way too heavy! **

**Rewards to all my reviewers, favouriters and alerters. You may give yourself a pat on the back and your favourite virtual treat! :D - cookie dough! with ice cream! **

**Xx**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Literally just inside the door from holiday! this is the first thing I've done! Don't kill me!**

**First off - omg! I do believe that this is the last chapter! If i decide to continue it i will put a post as chapter 19 - or an alert if i do a sequal. Any more ideas for me would be fab! Also if you want to see a certain point in this story from someone else's point of view, then just let me know, I'll get to work on it :D**

**Secondly - wanted to post this sooner but my phone was screwed up and wouldn't work abroad so I couldn't do it! SORRY!**

* * *

Collapsing at Merlin's side, the first thing Arthur realized was that Merlin was no longer breathing. Checking for a pulse, he found only a small hint at one being there.

He looked back to the stairs and saw that Lancelot had gone to get Gaius, who were now running down the stairs towards the pair. Uther looked shocked where he stood, he had not only witnessed Merlin destroy the woman that threatened Camelot, he had seen Morgana use magic. Morgana herself kept moving her eyes from Merlin to Uther, a different sort of worry on her face depending on who she was looking at.

"Now is not the time, father" Morgana said, looking at Uther.

He nodded in response and brought his full attention to the collapsed warlock. Gaius had now arrived next to the prince and his servant, and was lifting the latter's eyelids to check for any signs of injury. He checked Merlin's pulse again and timed it.

"Gaius…is this boy really Emrys?" asked, to everyone's surprise, Uther.

"He is, My Lord" Gaius replied, looking up for a moment. "All the druids call him 'Emrys'. He is not just another sorcerer, Sire".

Arthur was still confused about the name, not knowing who this 'Emrys' was supposed to be, and could see that Lancelot and Gwaine were looking just as confused. Morgana looked as if she knew exactly what the name meant. He would have asked what it meant, but at that moment Merlin's life was more important.

"I can't do anything…" Gaius started.

"What?" Arthur whispered.

"Morgause…seeing Merlin, I know what spell it was she put on him with that dagger, Arthur. He should not of used his magic. Oh, Merlin…".

"I remember, Morgause was mocking him, telling us about some curse she'd placed on him. But he was fine. He regained control of his magic. He was fine…".

"Merlin's better at hiding things than you think, Sire…".

"That I'll believe…".

Gaius gently dropped Merlin's arm, and slightly hung his head.

"I'm sorry, but the spell was too powerful for him…using that amount of magic took his life force…he's…".

Arthur started shaking his head. "He can't be…".

"I'm sorry…he's dead, My Lord…".

No body said anything, the only sound heard was from the lower towns, still trying to put out the fires that remained. Arthur raised his head slightly, seeing movement at the entrance to the courtyard.

The soldiers had somehow made it through and were returning, along with the druids. The druids were the first ones to realise what had happened, and many of them sat on the ground in silence, conjuring candles that they lit in commemoration.

Arthur's eyes were drawn back to Merlin as he saw light in the corner of his eyes. Merlin was starting to glow a white light, kinder and softer than the previous. The light started to spread, but Arthur did not move. It was almost completely transparent, and enveloped everything in its path.

Suddenly feeling a twinge on his leg, but not anything painful, he looked down. He watched as the cut that was created by the electricity slowly healed, leaving not even a trace of the wound that had previously been there. He sat up as he watched the light spread further. It wasn't just spreading, it was moving, as if something was propelling it in certain directions. He noticed that the bulk of the light went towards the injured soldiers and druids, healing each of them in turn.

"Ow…" came a small voice.

"Gwen!" Morgana gasped, rushing to her friend's side as she sat up, and encased her in a hug.

"What happened…? Merlin…?" Gwen started, as she came out of the hug smiling, then she saw Arthur bent down beside Merlin.

Arthur let himself smile at seeing his love healed, but it dropped when hers did, seeing by her face what she had realized.

The light started to recede, and die away again. Only when it was almost completely gone, did another light appear, almost blinding everyone with its intensity. But this light did not come from Merlin, it was coming from among the rubble, and Arthur looked up to see a bright white light, with a cloud of red forming in the middle. It was as if someone was walking towards them from a far distance - the closer they got, the more clearer the picture was.

Arthur watched as a dark haired young women, in a torn red dress, indicating her druid heritage, walked from the light and towards Merlin. She stepped away from the light and across the courtyard, and the light slowly disappeared. He couldn't help but feel he recognized this girl from somewhere, he just couldn't remember where.

She gracefully came to Merlin's side, and gave a small smile to Arthur.

"Do not worry, your highness. Merlin will live for years to come yet" she said, her smile widening slightly.

She brought up her right hand, and Arthur recognized the blue sphere that floated in it. It was the same sphere that had shown him his path up the rock wall all those years ago when Merlin had been accidentally poisoned.

"This belongs to him I believe" the girl said.

"What?" Arthur asked, in shock.

"This is Merlin's life force. When Morgause cursed him, she removed it from him, piece by piece. But now that she has died…. Along with the spells that prevented your men from re-entering the city walls, her magic has been undone. My Lord, there is a power held by only a few that the most powerful can have. That is the power over life and death. Merlin is now the last of those that have that power. When he killed Morgause, he corrected his destiny. Merlin was not prophesied to have died tonight, and when Morgause died, she ultimately gave her life for Merlin's - the only way that fate can correct itself is by taking one life for another" she explained.

Arthur couldn't reply, he was still in shock.

The girl slowly turned her hand over, so that her palm was facing downwards at Merlin. The blue sphere floated gracefully down to Merlin's chest, where it burst, spreading itself over Merlin before disappearing.

When Merlin suddenly started coughing, Arthur found himself kneeling beside him again, along with Gaius.

Arthur looked up to the young girl who watched them with a smile.

"Do me favour, Arthur…tell him that if he wants to see me, he knows where to go. Avalon has given me free reign of where I go".

"Avalon? I'm sorry, but who are you?".

"My name is Freya. Avalon is the place where all souls go when they are lost. And I have been granted the gift of being able to leave and enter this world, but only for sort periods of time. The further I get away from the entrance to Avalon, the shorter the time I can spend with him" she explained. "Take care of him, my King".

"I will" Arthur replied, watching her as she vanished into the light that had brought her.

* * *

Merlin felt a pain growing in the back of his head when he awoke. He found that he was laying in Gaius' bed in his quarters.

'_What am I doing here?' _he wondered.

Looking around, he saw that Arthur was asleep on a chair next to his bed. '_His neck is going to hurt when he wakes'. _

"Arthur?" he started.

Said prince jumped awake from the chair almost falling out of it all together.

"Whas it? Whas goin' on?" he mumbled, in a voice that was only half awake.

Merlin chuckled at the Prince, who suddenly realized that Merlin was awake.

"Merlin!" he shouted, suddenly hugging Merlin.

"Wow, Arthur! Two hugs in one day, are you feeling okay?".

"Actually, you've been asleep for two days, so not twice in one day Arthur retorted.

"Two days? What happened? And that doesn't change the fact that you've hugged me twice!".

"Merlin…".

"Yeah, I know…'shut up, Merlin'" he interrupted.

"Actually, I was going to say 'I'm glad you're awake' but that works too" he grinned in reply.

Merlin grinned his goofy grin once more, leaving Arthur feeling happy that that grin hadn't been completely lost. It was left to Arthur to explain everything that had happened.

Arthur noticed that whenever they got to parts involving Uther, Merlin started to tense up.

"You don't have to worry about my father, Merlin. I've talked with him, and - don't ask me how - but he's removing the ban on magic".

"What?".

"He said that as long as magic that is used for evil purposes is banned he will allow magic to return, but any who use magic, he wants your opinion on whether or not they're lying or actually using magic for their own gain".

"Wow…".

"Plus he really didn't want to have to banish Morgana, he does love her like she's his daughter…oh wait, she is!".

"Sorry I never told you…I just didn't think there was ever a right time…".

"I can hardly blame you, I wouldn't have believed you, probably!" he laughed.

Merlin grinned in reply.

When Merlin was cleared - three days later - by Gaius, Merlin left the city. He knew exactly where he was going and when he found himself finally standing face to face with Freya, knowing that every thing might just get better, he felt happier than he had in a long time.

* * *

**Comments - **

**Anonomous - **there you go! :D

**Darkenwood - **sort of hehe! :D thanks for reviewing!

**blank - **thanks a bunch! lol i love that type of brag too - that's why I couldn't help but put it in! :D

**bookadict27 -** i know (me and my cliffhangers!) incredible? wow thanks! :D

**sesshouluver -** nah, i could never kill our dear Merlin! I think that I would die if they did that in the show, so theres no way that i could write that! :D

**Sparky Dorian - **lol (hope this was worth the wait!) thanks for reviewing! :D

**Naisa - **love dramatic! just wanted to thank you for commenting as much as you have - you're fab! hmmm...sequal idea? or should i leave as is? hehe! :D

**LammySelfCJ - **sorry, phone screwed up! i send my humblest appologies! :D hope this was worth it though! btw that actually scared me into wanting to get home XD thanks for reviewing!

**miskris95 - **yippee! thanks a lot! :D

**Fire'sTiger -** lol - that's what i was like writing it! XD thanks a lot for all the reviews! :D

**thanks to everyone thats ever reviewed or are going to! you're all amazing people! :D Hope everyone has enjoyed this!**

**Xx**


	19. Epilogue

**Okay, this took for absolute ever! Sorry! I wasn't going to bother adding this chapter, but someone's review - ultimately the person who must take credit for the idea - made me think about it. Then when I started writing my new fic - Friendly Adversary - I knew that I had to add it.**

**So my thanks and credit go out to miskris95 for this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Merlin'.**

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Merlin sat on the shore, arms around his knees, looking out at the water. It was silent, peaceful and calming. That was why he loved the lake. He found it easier to think and make decisions when he was by the waterside, despite the fact that this lake held some rather unhappy memories. Arthur nearly drowning, and having to burn his beloved Freya when she died in his arms were just some. Yet somehow he still was able to find peace within himself when he visited the lake - the gateway to Avalon.

He now had even more reason to like it there.

As he sat watching the water reflect the white-topped mountains like a large, flat mirror, he saw a young woman walking out of the water and was coming towards him. She wore the red dress that she had once worn the first time that Merlin had ever met her. He didn't know how, but she looked more beautiful than he had ever saw her before. His face lit up when she started smiling at him.

As he stood up, he took her into his arms, spinning her around slightly, before kissing her, as his way of 'hello'. The day he woke up, Arthur had told him that a dark haired woman had come to them from a brilliant light, wearing a druid's red dress. Merlin sat in complete silence after he had heard. Freya. She had come back to him.

"Freya…" Merlin started, unable to continue. It was still something for him to get used to - being able to be with the person he loved, when he had believed her lost forever.

"Merlin, it's so good to see you…" she replied, smiling in his arms.

They sat down on the shore, talking about anything that came to mind. It had come as a shock to Freya that Uther had finally given up on his war against magic, and that Merlin had been made the unofficial adviser to both the King and his son on anything magical, with Gaius helping Merlin along. Merlin had never imagined that it was possible for him to share his secret with everyone while the King was still alive. But it had happened. Uther had seen the error of his ways and had decided that as long as magic was not used for nefarious purposes, he would agree that the law against magic would be removed.

Merlin told Freya of how Arthur had come to Merlin, the day after he was finally declared well enough to get out of bed by Gaius. He had come to him demanding to know every time that he had used magic, and Merlin had no choice but to explain everything to him. It had gotten hard in some places, especially when he got to the end of his second year in Camelot, when he had to tell Arthur about how he had freed the Great Dragon. Arthur had shown anger when Merlin had finished the story, and Merlin flinched when Arthur suddenly got up and came to him. The next thing he knew, Arthur was sitting beside him, a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Merlin" Arthur said.

"What? Why are you sorry? You've got nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one that nearly got all of Camelot destroyed. I'm the one who released the dragon!" Merlin replied, shocked at Arthur's words.

"The bloody dragon made you swear on your mother's life, Merlin. I don't blame you for releasing him. You said you tried to get him to promise not to attack Camelot, and considering he was supposed to be on your side, trying to protect Camelot, I'm shocked that the dragon would do something like that. He had helped you all that time to save and protect not only me, but Camelot, because he believed in the future he saw coming, and yet he attacks? He's the one to blame, Merlin, not you" Arthur replied. "Besides, you were also the one who stopped him, if you remember correctly? The dragon was attacking Camelot and you had just lost your father….After everything you've been through I'm surprised you haven't turned against everyone here".

"I could never do that, Arthur" Merlin replied, his voice unwavering.

"I know" Arthur replied, a slight smile showing.

So Merlin and Freya spent their time together talking, practising magic, or just lying on the shore listening to the sounds of the forest behind them, until it was time for Merlin to be heading back. Now that everything seemed to be going right, Merlin finally felt happy.

No more secrets, no more lies. Merlin finally felt at peace.

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**Thanks to everyone for reviewing, etc! Xx**


	20. Author's Note  New Story

**Just thought people would like to know that I've finally decided to write another 'Merlin' fic. It's going to be called 'Friendly Adversary'.**

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**Summary**

**When told, through their usual banter, that Arthur would not survive a week without Merlin, he predictably decides to give Merlin the week off to go visit his mother, in order to prove otherwise. Merlin immediately decides to not look a gift horse in the mouth, and takes advantage of the situation to get some free time. Little does he know that there are surprises in store for them both. With both friends and enemies surrounding him, Merlin will have to tread carefully if he wants to protect both Arthur and his secret.**

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**Hope you guys like it!**


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